Baltimore Orioles re-sign outfielder Michael Bourn to a minor league deal
By Ben Palmer
The Baltimore Orioles have reached an agreement with outfielder Michael Bourn. It’s a minor league deal with an invitation to camp. Bourn will earn $2M if he makes the major league roster.
The Baltimore Orioles have reached an agreement to re-sign outfielder Michael Bourn to a minor league deal with an invitation to camp. Bourn will earn $2M if he makes the major league roster out of spring training.
The Baltimore Orioles have been in need of outfield depth, and re-signing Bourn is their latest, inexpensive move in adding to their potential outfield depth.
Bourn is 34 years old and was traded to the Orioles last season in a deal that sent Jason Heinrich to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Last season, Bourn finished the year slashing .264/.314/.371 with five home runs, 48 runs, 38 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases in 113 games and 413 plate appearances.
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Not only does Bourn provide depth for the Orioles in their outfield, but he provides speed, something that the Orioles have severely lacked over the past few seasons. Once one of the biggest stolen-base threats in baseball, Bourn is also a solid defender and has shown that he still has the skills to be a solid major-leaguer.
Bourn has never been known for power, but he was, at one point, one of the best base-stealers in the game. His best season was in 2009 with the Houston Astros when he batted .285/.354/.384 with three home runs, 97 runs, 35 RBIs, and 61 stolen bases.
Bourn has aged, obviously, but is still a decent threat on the basepaths, racking up a solid 6.8 speed rating last season (for reference, the league leader was Starling Marte with 7.7. Josh Harrison and Jean Segura were tied for second with 6.8).
Bourn’s plate discipline has never been great, but it’s gotten worse, and along with that (and his declining speed), his average has declined. Once a hitter who could be counted on to hit anywhere from .275-.290, now Bourn tends to float around the .240-.260 mark.
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This is purely an inexpensive depth move for the Baltimore Orioles, and not a bad one at that, as Bourn can still be a useful player. It wouldn’t surprise me if Bourn makes the major league roster out of spring training and starts a few games here and there. It’s a classic Dan Duquette low-risk offseason move.