29
2012
Should Mets Target An Outfielder Like Michael Bourn This Offseason?
An article by 
I read yesterday an interesting post on MetsBlog where he discussed the pros and cons of acquiring outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury of the Red Sox. While the 28 year old centerfield is in the throws of an injury-marred season, I do like his upside, but I’m not sure I’d want to give up any prospects to acquire a player who at this point is quite a risk.
If Alderson is planning to make wholesale changes to this team now that he’s had two years to figure out most of the roster is full of fringe MLB ballplayers, perhaps he can clear enough salary to add someone like a Michael Bourn who is a free agent this Winter.
Bourne, 29, would instantly fill the void in center field and give the Mets the speed they’ve lacked since Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan patrolled the grounds at Citi Field. Bourn leads the league in steals with 37 and has totaled 271 stolen bases in his six-year career. He’s as durable player as you’ll find and has led the league in plate appearances two years running. He has a a tad better on-base percentage than Reyes, and over both their careers the numbers are similar. He also has a couple of Gold Gloves in his showcase.
I thought I’d ask our staff what they their thoughts were on the 2012 All Star center fielder, and also how they felt overall about our outfield situation…
Should the Mets target an outfielder like Michael Bourn this offseason?
How would you describe the state of the Mets outfield right now?
Robert Patterson – In my opinion the Mets don’t really have an outfield right now, or at least any player who should start the season out there in 2013. I’d love to see them go after Bourn, as he would fill multiple voids on the current roster, but unless things change I’d expect Bourn’s price tag to be too high.
XtreemIcon – As far as I can see, the Mets outfield is in a holding pattern until we see a full month out of Duda/Valdespin/Kirk left to right. That’s the best in-house option right now. Before the Mets go and spend money to replace those guys who are supposed to be part of the future, let’s actually see them play the positions best suited for them instead of playing guys out of position because there’s a previous hole in that spot. If the team has no RF, you’re not going to solve that problem by putting Duda there. You’re just exacerbating it. Put the guys where they belong and see how they do. Then make the decision. I think Hairston and Torres are great options for the backup roles. Problem is, the complete and total lack of production and DL stints/demotions from Duda, Kirk and Bay have forced those two into a larger role and they’ve been exposed. As far as Bourn, he’s had a terrific season. But I’m wary of guys finally “figuring it out” at 29. The Mets recently had a CF like that and Alderson made the mistake of not dealing him when he could have gotten a real OF back and not a backup. Bourn will fetch something in the neighborhood of a Bay deal, and I’m not comfortable with a superstar contract from a guy with one superstar season at age 29 after being in the league since age 23. If the Mets were to acquire an OF, I’ve been vocal about my preference of Justin Upton, but as far as free agents, BJ Upton would be a good option, and I’d look at Cody Ross. I’ve said on multiple occasions that Nick Swisher is a great fit for this team and would prefer him over all FAs.
Clare Lafferty – I don’t necessarily believe that we need three sluggers in the outfield ( although it wouldn’t hurt ). But we need outfielders that can play good solid defense. Say what you want about Jason Bay – he can play the outfield and he hustles. Torres has played well in center and right field is by committee now. We need a real right fielder. Bourn has a lot going for him but what would it take to get him here? We need to be careful not to mortgage our future on one player.
Dan Valis – I would be all for the Mets targeting a player like Bourn. He would fill two needs we have both in Center and as a lead off hitter. He may be the best lead off hitter in the NL right now. My post from last week about the Mets needing to possibly add three starting outfielders says it all. This outfield needs a complete overhaul. It’s really pathetic when you have to say that a guy named Scott Hairtson who is a reserved outfielder, and can only really hit lefties, is our best outfielder. It’s just sad.
Mitch Petanick – The state of the Mets outfield is complete disarray. At this point I would be happy with any free agent that is available, but Michael Bourn is definitely that spark plug the offense needs since losing Jose Reyes. Bourn also brings a solid glove with him to center field. It seems like everyone wants Bourn, so there may be a bidding war for his services. I think that makes him a long shot to be in blue and orange next year.
Nick Campione – While I do not believe the Mets should go after Michael Bourn specifically because he is a lefty and we need some right handed bats in the lineup, they need 3 new outfielders. The Mets have to have if not thw worst production from their outfield this year I have seen in a long time. Not even one outfielder had a good season. I would look to non tender Torres, cut Jason Bay and trade Duda for a RP. With saying that I would then have Valdespin on the bench and Kirk Nieuwenhuis in AAA to begin season with Baxter and Hairston or Hairston hitter like on the bench, however I do not believe this happens. I would like Mets to sign BJ Upton for CF and Cody Ross for RF on the cheap and then I assume it will be a platoon in LF.
Mike Barrett – Absolutely Bourne should be a top target, right behind a reliable bullpen arm. He has the speed to cover all the ground necessary in CF and would be the ideal lead off hitter in his lineup. The only drawback is he is a left hand hitter but that is a small negative for all the positives he can bring. I would describe the Mets outfield as a disaster. Bay is done, Hairston is a nice player but not a starter, and Torres is as streaky as they come. The only outfielder I enjoy watching is Valdespin and he is a middle infielder by trade. Like I said, a disaster.
Jessep – I think they should look into Bourn, Hunter, and BJ Upton. My initial thought is that Bourn and even Upton will be too expensive. I think Upton’s got the last name, but he has not proven to be worth a big investment. To me, Torii Hunter is the guy I’d target for the short term. He’s a proven veteran, he’s a known leader and is a quality righty bat.
What are your thoughts on Bourn? Are you happy with the in-house options? Do you want to see Andres Torres and Scott Hairston brought back? Let us know what you think.
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 22 | 18 | .550 | - |
| Nationals | 22 | 19 | .537 | 0.5 |
| Phillies | 19 | 22 | .463 | 3.5 |
| Mets | 15 | 23 | .395 | 6.0 |
| Marlins | 11 | 30 | .268 | 11.5 |
Last updated: 05/17/2013
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I’m with XtreemIcon. The guy I really want is Justin Upton. He’s already a 2x all-star, and is only 24 years old. He is having a down year, but his better playing days are still ahead of him. Do whatever it takes to get him in Flushing. Assuming the Mets resign Wright – Upton, Wright, Davis will be a solid middle of the order trio for years to come.
Mitch, Didn’t you know?? Justin Upton being put on the trading block this year issues a red flag for him… So no, don’t even think about a cancer like that in our clubhouse..
I don’t think it signals any red flag – and D-Wright grew up playing summer ball with the Uptons, so I would like to think there would be instant harmony in the clubhouse. I don’t hear any stories about him being a clubhouse cancer. In fact, I’m sure it was a story that was broken by a clueless blogger as everyone tries to speculate why they D-backs would put their best player on the block…it’s just baseball…just business. Nothing more.
Mitch:
http://metsmerizedonline.com/2012/07/mmo-crossfire-the-case-for-and-against-trading-for-justin-upton.html
that is what he is referencing.
Mitch, that was the conversation, but to some people, he, was a red flag… Not gonna get into it now, but let’s just say, upton will not be welcome in NY by those people…
I don’t want anything to do with Bourn. Just not that big on him. Actually I expect him to either be on the Braves or the Phillies. I would love to get BJ Upton for a reasonable price but who knows if that is likely either.
However, I have mentioned before I am still big on Carlos Gomez. He has pop, speed, great defense, (cheap… lol) and would be a nice complement to Kirk. He has 14 HR and 27 SB this season in 104 games. The 2nd half he has hit: .286 .331 .521 .853 with 9 HR and 16 SB in 42 games. That along with Kirk could be a very decent option allowing the Mets to spend on a real RF instead.
I can see the Mets trying to find an inexpensive young outfielder or prospect ready to play next year. I am still in favor of Bourjos of Aneheim for CF. I am not sure if they will go after someone like Bourn or Upton who will cost more, maybe AFTER Jason Bay’s contract it gone.
The guy will bring a lot the Mets are lacking right now, a center filder with speed, a leadoff hitter, stolen bases (speed at the top), consistency and durability. What else can you ask for in a single player, he will improve the lineup and the outfield. They sould give a try here.
Please be realistic. Look for players that are going to command in the 1-3 million dollar range on short term contracts. Marlon Byrd, Cody Ross for examples. Maybe signing Maicer Izturis at 2nd if we can swap Daniel Murphy for an outfielder?
Lol… Sad isn’t it??? But true nonetheless… Yet there’s still people IN HERE who claim we are going in the right direction and that they’re happy with what’s going on with the mets.. LOL.. The slurpiness will continue for as long as some of these slurpers are here…
It is very sad and it does make me wonder, were people so happy to get rid of “Los Mets” that they are happy to see a lower caliber mostly caucasian team? People only seem to care how eloquently Sandy Auctionson spins crap like a career politician. Terry Collins gets pass after pass with a .471 winning percentage. (FYI Jerry ‘Gangsta’ Manuel .489 and Willie Randolph .544!!!) How fast did the fan base turn on Jose? Bet you they won’t turn on Wright like that. How would Jason Bay be treated if he was Dominican? Probably just like Moises Alou. When latinos slump they are called lazy and dumb. Blacks are club house cancers until proven otherwise and White guys are “gritty” and “try hard”. Sad.
Pete, while the CORE salute you for that comment, this is a baseball site, and i recommend to you to stick to baseball only. it usually don’t turn out well for those who bring up that kind of conversation in here, while you could make a valid point, let’s just stick to baseball, unless your name is fonzie or jesseP those conversation will not be tolerated here.
Pot, meet Kettle. Lets not talk about what’s tolerated here since you’re still here.
As are you!
But all your posts today are attacking other posters!
Alex didn’t do that did he?
There you go getting involved where it doesn’t concern you. Your name was not mentioned so there was no need for you to get involved. Go finish one of your daily flame wars with with whoever it is you picked to battle with today.
And can you show me who I attacked today? Or should I chalk it up as something else you made up?
It was his rhetoric of the day. He honestly can’t function on the site unless the conversation is about Sandy.
Not sure which part of that wouldn’t be tolerated? I would say that I am sticking to baseball and that race has been an important part of the sport. Some would say that it smacks you in the face as you walk into the rotunda of CitiField. The reality is that this regime has done nothing but spin in mud.
I defended Omar during the attacks of Los Mets and I will do the same now. I see no, absolutely no signs of a racial agenda from the Mets or their office holders.
Sigh…..Fonzie, you know exactly what happened and what you said to me, yet you roam around here as it what you said was not offensive at all, but of course, you had that other snake on your side and i ended up getting the blame for it.. It is what it is at this point to be quite frankly
Let them keep going Alex, Time to show JoeD who REALLY starts the flames!
Metsie, if by now nothing has been done i doubt something will… at this point it is what it is.
I give JoeD more credit than that and he has made some comments recently that suggest he may have turned a corner on some of them.
I like Michael Bourne. The one knock on him is that he strikes out too much in the leadoff spot but he plays hard and hustles all the time so his talent cannot be criticized. The Braves would not be in the WC hunt without him. Freddy Gonzalez has said as much. Now what is the purpose of getting Bourne. He’ll probably want a 6 year deal and here is the question. Have the Mets designated Brandon Nimmo to be our center fielder of the future and if yes and you give a long term contract to Bourne then what happens if Nimmo is ready in two more years?
I’d like to see the Bourn Factor in a Mets uni.
OF is such a mess. Sure, I wish to hell guys like Baxter Newie, and Duda became stars, or at least really productive hitters, but signs aren’t so good. We need a definite offensive and defensive anchor in center. Bourn offers one of the few possibilities who must be targeted for this position.
All we’re doing is torturing ourselves by looking at star caliber players like Bourn or anybody else out there. When Sandy said there would be wholesale changes he meant Den Dekker in CF instead of Torres. He meant Justin Hampson and Elvin Ramirez instead of Rauch and Ramon. Fred Lewis will be here instead of Scott Hairston. Mejia instead of Chris Young. He has no money and he won’t trade his best products, all star-caliber players are off the table unless he trades Dickey, Harvey or Wright the only trade chips with any real value.
Is bourn really a “star” caliber player though? Might be getting paid like one in FA, but would not be the first good player having his peak seasons that got wildly overcontracted and was never able to live up to it.
bourn would certainly be an upgrade right now. But hard to see him fitting in if they aren’t able to up the payroll. Plus, you are back in the situation of paying top $ for a guy that is likely going to be on the downhill part of his career while you do it.
So, in the mets situation, what would be great is to find the next Bourn. A few years ago, he was pretty much a nobody/failed prospect i believe (late bloomer?) So if you don’t have 10mill/year to blow on MB, scout around to find a slightly younger guy with that type of game/potentail.
Carlos Gomez was mentioned above. That is one option, but there are other guys like that. not quite the “big name”, but still able to give the team what it needs on the field.
if you really want to go outside the box, take a run at Victorino. Hard to believe he will cost that much! and at least, it would be a Met player that deserved to get bood…
the buzz down here in Philly land is that the Phils are really hot to bring Bourn back into the family anyway.
Leadoff hitter is important but Bourn might be too expensive, I would not mind bringing in one of he Upton brothers, possibly Justin because BJ has had almost 8 years of play in Tampa and has not been the power hitter they expected plus his avg is not great.
Bringing in a RH power/extra base hitter for CF like Gomez if available would be great, coming back home, and despite the strike outs he is a quality CF and young.
Bourn will be too expensive for this team so we shall see.
Michael Bourn is a terrific player and the best of what seems to be a good FA class for outfielders.
But…he’s not a game changer. He’s not a generational talent like Beltran and that is how he is going to get paid.
Plus, I’d prefer going for a slugger to a lead off guy. Even with the last 2 weeks, they still have the #5 OBP in the NL. Get a consistent power hitter to bring more of those base runners in. Especially if we can get a righty.
I would like them to go after a RH hitting power bat to give us what Bay was supposed to provide. We get that then we have enough other guys to fill in the other holes.
Between Valdespin, Kirk and Duda (and who knows maybe even Den Dekker) you can fill the other two spots and then you have Nimmo as your potential CF when he is ready.
We need someone with a rh power bat other than Wright!
Without it we have no balance in the lineup.
We need to break up those two LH power bats like Duda and Davis with a RH power threat in between.
We do that and both Davis and Duda will start hitting well enough again to offset the fielding of Duda and the low BA potential of Davis.
If they could get Valdespin’s bat under better control he could give you everything Bourne would give you at a fraction of the cost.
As far as what I would give away to get the RHPB?
The only truly untouchables are Harvey and Wheeler!
With all the guys we have used and showed some promise this year there are more than enough to ship off three even 4 of them to get a player like that.
I actually agree in your assessment of need. Get a guy to help with CF that has an upside, not a guy like Torres. Again my suggestion is Gomez as he can fit right in with Kirk or DD in CF and would not be expensive in cost or trade chips. Then use those resources to find a competent RH RF, either through trade or FA.
I also am going to write a piece in the desert later about the idea of dumping FF and resigning Rauch while going with a LH/RH platoon for closer maximizing the position and the personnel. Rauch, Edgin, Parnell, to me is the foundation of a decent backend and also would allow us more money to spend on needs.
Problem is that there is a void of RH power hitters coming into FA this off-season. In fact Hairston is actually one of the better names so it appears a trade will have to occur. I wonder if there could be a situation where the Brewers would trade Gomez and Hart for pitching?
Yes and as I was trying to say we have plenty of things to trade it’s just that people have to decide what they actually believe, The kids we have are going to be answers and should be kept like gold meaning we don’t need any help we have what we need or they are not answers for us and we should trade them in quantity to get what WILL be an answer.
Pick the kids that are answers here and hold onto them,
Trade the rest off for answers and just make sure your drafts are good enough to replace them in 4 or 5 years time!
Seems people can’t decide if our kids are worth having or not, will be answers or not so all they look for is the best player they feel we could sacrifice to get what a quantity of kids no one seems to like could get you!
Not every trade involves a Wheeler or a BA top 20!
You can substitute Quantity for Quality just as easily to get it!
But people seem to think giving away 4 kids they don’t like is woirse than giving away one MLB they kind of DO like but will part with to get some new kick!
Well while I won’t shed any tears if they dumped francisco no way in hell they will eat his contract before they eat Bays! and I don’t see them eating both either!
We have to get off the fence here in regards to our Kids.
Either we think they are the pieces we need and we play them or we think they are not really the answer and start trading some to get what IS the answer.
My issue with the rebuilders here has less to do with the concept of rebuilding (i only care that if thats the goal REALLY do it!) The issue is they only seem interested in trading the BIG CHIP Performers to get the players and refuse to trade the kids they will later on in a different discussion say aren’t all that good!
I think Kirk,Valdespin and even to some degree Duda can be those pieces with a little work and coaching, But I can’t say for sure they will. Like I said the only UNTOUCHABLES, guys who we KNOW and are pretty damn sure are pieces that will fill and be a base for the future are Harvey and Wheeler. Even at thier worst they are still 4th and 5th rotation guys!
So hold onto them dearly just as the Nats held onto their pitching when dealing around it and using FA when an answer was available.
As we seem to all agree for the most part, the IF is set provided Wright is resigned, Murphy stays healthy, Tejada doesn’t lose the average and Ike is done hitting below .200 which he has been since June!
So it comes down to Pitching and OF with maybe a catcher thrown in for good measure. Maybe a now happy and more heavily used Shoppach becomes an answer there, He has some power, just not enough to be that RH Power bat we need. Good post heart of the order protection guy though.
Santana will be what he will be
Dickey will be Dickey I think there is no doubt about his ability only his age and potential injury can hurt you now and he seems more durable than anyone we have!
Niese seems to be coming into his own, Gee was doing fine
Throw Harvey and Wheeler in there and you have quite a pitching staff to work with, You could even put Santana in the pen as your closer and still have a credible 5 man rotation! (and who knows what McHugyh can do in the future he looked pretty good!)
That would solve the FF issue maybe he becomes the setup man!
That leave an awful lot of kids to shop around to get that RH power bat.
The rest of the BP you have options like Mejia, Familia, for home grown options. Get two or three lefties preferably ones who can get righties out as well and you have solved a major problem with the pen!
And what left of the pitching and kids that don’t cut it as starters are best used as trade bait (and if you have to send in quantity to make up for quality) to tget the RH Power bat and more pen and depth for the bench.
Cause lets face it kids make poor bench anyway!
But people have to get off thier Kid Hoarding mentality when making trade, Stop assuming no one wants them based on individual worth and stop looking to see who is the best player we have on the MLB squad we can do without whenever they think about how to get what they need because they are too busy hoarding kids!
I think Sandy has to bring in at least 2 new starting OFers. I also think that Sandy is going to have app. 16MM to spend on new players with Pelfrey, Young, Rauch, Ramirez and Torres coming off the books. I think Carlos Gomez and Peter Bourjos for CF are realistic trade targets. Bourn is going to be too expensive but maybe the Melk man- Melky Cabrera can be had in FA for 1 yr. and 9MM because of his PED suspension for RF.
You think Melky’s getting $9 million?
Honestly I think he will get closer to .9 million than 9 million. What has he done off roids? What can you prove he has done withouth them?
he may have to settle for a minor league deal with incentives.
I’m with Joe D on this one.The Mets OF situation is a huge mess right now. The deal that sent Pagan to SF for Torres was a bad one. Pagan is a better player than Torres at this point. That being said, I agree that they need at least 2 real outfielders for next season and I think that any of those names would be good for us. Bourn would be a good fit for this club if our tightwad owners are willing to pony up the cash to sign him. Honestly, if we’re going to pursue one of the Upton brothers, I prefer Justin over BJ.
Some people are mentioning Swisher. Do you honestly think the Yankees will let him walk? Even if they were to no re-sign him, what makes you think that NS would want to play in Flushing anyway?
I’d also be interested in Ryan Ludwick is his option is not picked up
Here’s a name I’d like to throw into the fray that’s younger and can possibly be had this winter: Dexter Fowler. He’s only 26 and in the last 3 years, he’s only gotten better & better.
2010: .260/.347/.410/.757
2011: .266/.363/.432/.796
2012: .304/.389/.495/.884
The only drawback to his game is him striking out so much. Then again, so does Bourn. If not Ellsbury (who I’d take in a heartbeat), I want Fowler.
Also, I agree with jessep on bringing Torii Hunter in as a Met for one or two years. A leader in the outfield is what we sorely need among the young OFs we have.
Yes to both. Fowler and Hunter and platoon Duda with Hairston in LF.
I like Fowler. But why and what? Why are they trading him and what do you have to give?
Hard to say. Not sure what holes they’re going to be looking to fill. I would guess pitching and that’s a strength we can trade from. I don’t pay much attention to their farm system but they do have a little depth in CF.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/08/extension-candidate-dexter-fowler.html
Is Fowler available and what would it cost us?
That’s what I was trying to say… Lol.
I mean it sounds like he just picked a random rising star that’s never been rumored to be available. Somewhere in the Astros world of blogs one guy just posted we need to get Jon Niese from the Mets. lol
Lol I vaguely remember hearing Fowlers name in the past but I see no reason to do it now.
Kevin it could be that Colorado has so many holes to fill that they could be willing to move a guy like Fowler for a few pieces. That could be what he was EF was thinking.
Exactly Fonzie. The only sure thing Colorado has at this point in time are CarGo and Tulo, the latter of whom has been hurt. Colorado needs retooling, and with the Mets having pitching in the farm as well as OF depth, a trade can be made.
Based on what I am reading they see him as a big part of the future and not a trading chip. Now granted if he refuses to sign an extension then of course he will be traded but getting rid of Boras to me shows that’s not his intentions.
Tyler Colvin might be more aquirable but he’s another lefty so what good does that do?