The Angels have struck a deal to bring outfielder Peter Bourjos back to the organization, MLBTR’s Steve Adams reports on Twitter. It’ll be a minor-league pact for the 31-year-old, who is a client of the Dishman Sports Group.
Bourjos has seen action in each of the past nine MLB campaigns, the first four of those coming in Los Angeles. He has yet to produce anything approaching his exciting 2011 season, when he posted a .271/.327/.438 slash with a dozen homers and 22 steals while playing excellent center field defense for the Halos.
More recently, Bourjos has functioned in a part-time role. He still appeared in over 100 games annually in each of the four seasons following his departure from the Angels, but hasn’t shown much at the plate and struggled to gain opportunities in 2018. All told, Bourjos carries only a .229/.286/.366 with other organizations.
Bourjos did post strong numbers last year against Triple-A pitching with the Giants and Braves organizations. And he’ll figure to have at least a shot at earning a big-league job out of camp — at least, that is, supposing the Halos don’t make any other signings in the interim. The club is in need of a right-handed-hitting fourth outfielder to share some time with Kole Calhoun.
welcome back, peter!
This could be strictly a minor league depth move. There could be a bigger move in the works to get a starter and using minor league outfielders as bait.
Man, I still hold that if he didn’t get destroyed by injury he’d be a great player. Glad to see him come back to Anaheim.
Yep. He went 3 straight years with wrist and hip injuries. Killed him.
A Great Player is a Future Hall of Famer. Stop exaggerating.
Peter Gorgeous is back!!! Move to left field Trout, Pete got CF covered .
I love this comment! Crazy to think that Speedy Pete had the athleticism to stay in CF when young Trouty came up to the Bigs.
Remember that? He made that happen, remember that catch he did up in Baltimore robbing that homer? He was good, too bad Vernon Wells was C blocking him.
Awesome. Gorgeous bourjos
A joy to watch in the field. Smooth strides, covers a ton of ground. Just needs a better hit tool. He’s a depth piece at this point.
Don’t know how much value he’ll end up bringing to the Halos, but reading this header had me all sentimental. Bourjos will always be a fan fave in Anaheim.
Really?
AZ kid
I guess they need another Shane Robinson – type to fill out the roster.
Bourjos is 10 times better than Shane Robinson.
Not really
Yes, really. Bourjos career WAR of 9.6. Shane Robinson 1.1
Bourjos is one of those guys I’ll always root for. The numbers aren’t there but he plays his a** off and is still an excellent defensive CF.
A sensational defensive OF.
Adam Engel’s and Brett Phillips’ role model.
Harrison Bader was in that category, but he learned to hit.
All kidding aside, I’ve loved watching Bourjos play OF and run the bases. I keep thinking of Devon White with the Angels and how he struggled some with hitting till he became decent and turned into a high quality player. And of course Frank White and Ozzie Smith held down middle infield jobs due to their gloves….only to have the light go on and become very good ML hitters as well.
At age 31 and after so many managers and batting coaches tinkering with him, the odds that Mr. Bourjos suddenly starts mashing are not good. But if he could even get to .250 / .300 he would be an asset to any team. Hope he somehow turns it.
Angels fans are more nostalgic than any other fan base. Its a good trait IMO. I think Pete Bourjos’ game is comparable to Gary Pettis’ game.
At first I thought you said Gary Matthews. Then I read Pettis and agreed.
He can’t hit homers, he doesn’t steal bases anymore, he doesn’t walk much. I don’t see the value here. It’s good to squeeze a last smoke out of players in their prime perhaps, but this guy doesn’t seemingly project well at all.
It’s a minor league signing and he’s still very good defensively
Interesting way of surrounding Trout with more talent before his looming free agency…
Crazy to think a guy who literally can’t hit doesn’t have a lot of trouble finding work.
Have you seen some of their “hitters” the past few seasons. He is a step up lol
Solid pickup for the fourth outfielder spot. Can’t be worse than Chris Young was, this past season.
Obviously a preamble to trading Trout……..
Seriously tho you can do a lot worse than Peter B. as a 4th OF. Whoever noted that he plays his a** off is 100% correct.
If you want offense from your 4th OFer, sign Adam Jones, and watch fly balls drop everywhere….not that Jones wasn’t very good in his day, but that train has left the station….good bat, that’s it….and he’s going to cost 6-8M….a far cry from the 600K Pete will make……
The Sox almost HAD to re-sign Pearce, given his WS heroics and platoon ability….I’m not sure the Angels have that type of financial flexibility…..
He’s only 31?
He is done. Hasn’t been productive for a long time. Time to move on to his next profession.
Exactly! The stats do not lie. Unfortunately the vast majority of Angel fans and the organization live in the past. This being why year after year after year they are 20 games out, under .500, and nowhere near making the playoffs. Time to put the past in the past and move forward Halo clowns.
Agreed 100%, pretty embarrassing for Halo fans that 95% of the comments on here are people stoked that Peter is back. Knew I couldn’t have been the only one that hates the move. Hopefully he just stays in the minors.
signing like this is why the angel never win
No, it’s signings like Pujols for 10 years and $250M when he was 32 years old that don’t allow the Angels to win. How does signing a guy to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training make a team bad?
You people need to wake up and realize this signing is simply to provide a bench role and late inning defensive action. Some of you act like they are signing him to a $10M deal to play 150 games and get 500 at bats. He can still run. I don’t care about stealing bases. I’m talking about running the bases in general. And he can still chase down a ball in the field.. When it’s 2-1 in the 8th or 9th inning, who do you want in the OF? Justin Upton or Peter Bourjos? He will likely make the team as the 25th player, get 150 at bats, and maybe start 20 games. It’s a good signing for what he will be asked to do.
@daved stop talking sense and let the haters hate lol
Hard graft will hopefully always lead to chances.
Well said daved
Bravo Daved
Bourjos is in the same category as Rob Quinlan and Jeff DaVannon. Dudes that for some reason the Angels think are MLB caliber players when in reality they are just flat out bad.
He’s not bad. He’s a utility player and one that is good at that.