Jon Heyman reported tonight that the Cleveland Indians have signed former Braves outfielder and even more former Astro and even formerer Phillies farmhand and WFC closer tradebait Michael Bourn to a contract worth $48 million over four years, with a possible vesting interest for a fifth year that could bring the deal up to $60 million.
Bottom line: he's not a Met. Sandy Alderson apparently couldn't part with the idea that his 11th pick in this year's draft could wind up with a guy like Greg Luzinski. And who could blame him, really?
It was fun, anyway, to consider what might happen if Bourn were to have stayed out of baseball until after the draft, another puppet in superagent Scott Boras' theater of the absurd. But it was enough, apparently, to scare off Ruben Amaro Jr., so off he went to get Ben Revere.
Bourn's deal is about $8 million less than Swisher's deal, and $9 million more than Shane Victorino's deal with the Red Sox, but in each case less on an average annual salary, and way less than Boras was reported to have wanted for his client earlier in the offseason. Pays to wait, I suppose.
There might be some more interesting secondary moves after this, as all of a sudden the Indians find themselves with Nick Swisher, Michael Brantley, Drew Stubbs, and Bourn. Not a bad team, given they also have Trevor Bauer, if they can flip Stubbs or Brantley for another pitcher, the Tigers may have to adjust their rearview mirror a bit. A good ramble around our friends at LetsGoTribe.com for more is recommended.
Discuss the deal below, Phillies fans.
Author's note: the emailed comments of other TGP Politburo members contributed to this post.