Update: “No chance” the Yankees pursue Michael Bourn

December 21, 2012 by Mike Axisa 95 Comments

Friday: Wally Matthews hears there is “no chance” the Yankees will pursue Bourn, nevermind sign him. Not only is his price tag too high, but the team is looking for a right-handed outfield bat, not another lefty. No surprise here.

Sunday: Via Nick Cafardo: The Yankees are believed to be “quietly interested” in Michael Bourn. With Josh Hamilton and B.J. Upton off the board, Bourn and Nick Swisher are by far the two best outfielders left on the free agent market.

Bourn, 30 later this month, hit .274/.348/.391 (104 wRC+) with 42 steals (in 55 attempts) for the Braves this year. He’s one of the very defensive outfielders in the game and has a classic slap-hitting, leadoff man profile from the left side of the plate. The Yankees already have two of those guys in Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki, so their supposed interest doesn’t make much sense. Add in the fact that he’s a Scott Boras client (no discount) and would require a draft pick to sign, this one doesn’t pass the sniff test.

28 this year

This seems stupid. If they have money for Bourn, just sign Swisher.
- jjyank
  
  Agreed. I’d rather have Swisher over Bourn, and it’s not particularly close.
  - Sweet Dick Willie
    
    Yeah, sometimes I think sportswriters just make shit up for the hell of it.
    
    Bourn: .274/.348/.391 requires forfeiting 1st round pick
    
    Swisher: .256/.361/.467 keep 1st round pick
    
    Makes absolutely no sense.
    - jjyank
      
      Not to mention that once Bourn’s legs go, he’s pretty much useless. Swisher’s skill set should age better.
      - Preston
        
        Not to mention that we already have 3 CF on the roster, two of whose legs are already starting to go.
    - Laz
      
      but letting swisher go you get a sandwich pick, so you lose maybe 5 slots in the draft.
      
      still rather swish.
Dr. Vinny Boombatz

Hell no…Should have signed Hamilton if you are gonna do this…Also as the article says we already have Ichiro and Gardner…and Mason Williams in the minors…so makes zero sense.
Dan

This seems like it would only make sense if Cashman has a trade in place for Gardner or Granderson; though it makes less sense with Granderson because then they should be looking for someone with more power. I don’t really know what he could be trading for, maybe a 3rd baseman that would be better than Youkillis or a starting pitcher to provide better depth there.
Knoxvillain

Pass. He doesn’t impress me. His game is based around speed and he’s not young.
- Yankees Insider
  
  Gardner is only a year younger and bourn is better then him. But Gardner is cheaper. If we trade GRANDY and Gardner and sign bourn then we have bourn making GRANDY money and we possibly get a young RH hitting OF like Mayberry JR. Who knows the yanks would have to have a plan. And are we forgetting why we’re not resigning swisher? He sucked for us and went on one tear the whole year for like 4days where he Hit 4 HR and 2Doubles. Other then that he shouldn’t make more money then he did last year. But at the end of the day we’re forgetting about younger players being brought up. Our last position player brought up was Gardner like 4 years ago. We have Mesa,almonte,Adams,Joseph, and Dickerson that can be brought up. Also the pitchers last one was Robertson. This year though I do see them bringing up Montgomery, CABRAL, and warren for stints or even most of the year. Notable players would be Turley, KAHNLE(throws 100mph), and Marshall who could be up end of the season or 2014.
  - Sweet Dick Willie
    
    Nova and Phelps don’t count?
    - NYinTX
      
      Shhh, don’t ruin the narrative.
      - King of Fruitless Hypotheticals
        
        no they don’t–he said position player.
  - FIPster Doofus
    
    Saying Swisher sucked is ridiculous. He was good and productive for all four of his seasons as a Yankee, playoffs aside.
  - Get Phelps Up
    
    Epic Big Member imitation fail.
  - Laz
    
    How is Bourn better. He gets more hype, but Gardner’s career obp is almost 20 points higher, Gardner just edges out Bourn in. Sure Bourn steals a few more bases than Gardner, but it isn’t all that many when adjusted for the # of games played.
Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle AKA True Yankee(TM)

I would take him, especially if it meant turning around and trading Gardner in a package for someone #pipedreams
- Laz
  
  tbh, gardner has a much better obp than bourn, which is really important if you want him to be the leadoff hitter.
The Real Eddard

Weren’t they also “quietly interested” in Hamilton and then he went to the Angels? The problem with this Yankee F.O. is that they’re “quietly interested” in everybody and actually get nobody. The Blue Jays are building an arsenal to beat the Yankees, the Angels are in an arms race with the Dodgers and the Yankee F.O. isn’t lifting a finger.
- Sweet Dick Willie
  
  Bur at least you’re still spouting your troll shit.
  - Robinson Tilapia
    
    Pretty weakly, I might add.
    - dalelama
      
      Give them hell Eddard they are in denial as Nero fiddles while Rome burns. Let’s party like its 1965!!!
kevin

trade gardner for devin mesoraco!!!!!!
dkidd

girardi: where’s bourne???
cashman: he’s calling from the clubhouse!!!!
kenthadley

C’mon. This has Boras-leak all over it. That’s how he builds up the interest in his clients. Surprised it didn’t come from Heymann.
- iYankees
  
  So true.
Deep Thoughts

Typical Bore-Ass use of the Yankees to increase demand artificially. Only surprised it wasn’t Rosenthal or Heyman.
dkidd

jon heyman reports that i have “quiet interest” in jessica biel
- Ivan
  
  Lmao….dat was a good one….
- Dr. Vinny Boombatz
  
  Dkidd, Very Funny and truer I am sure
- Robinson Tilapia
  
  ietc
JLC 776

I’ve always admired Bourn, but I’m happier just having Gardner for a whole year (hopefully).
Tom

I don’t understand RAB’s fascination with the manner in which a player helps his team win. Why should it matter if several players derive a lot of their value from D?
- Andy Pettitte’s Fibula
  
  Maybe because a lot of people question the statistical measures of defensive vaue.
  
  I for one think that fangraphs significantly overestimates the value of players like Bourn and Gardener who’s value is pretty much all defensive.
  - FIPster Doofus
    
    Mike Axisa said it well the other day. I’m paraphrasing, but it was something like: “Fangraphs turns every track star into a four-WAR outfielder.”
  - Laz
    
    I often feel the same, that WAR often overrates defense, and it doesn’t even accurately get it all the time. But sometimes I’ll use it, just because it is the closest I can get to a solid number of how many wins a team won or lost by making a move.
- FIPster Doofus
  
  For one, it’s easier to gauge offensive value. Defensive stats are less refined. Two, offense is the more important aspect of the game. For example, the Yankees of the early 2000s mashed their way into the playoffs annually with a bunch of scrubs playing defense for them (i.e. Sheffield, Matsui, etc.). Those teams were epically bad on defense. On the other hand, how often do great defensive clubs that struggle offensively go anywhere? Not very, it seems.
  - Tom
    
    I would argue that those teams weren’t actually that good at preventing runs, like the hyped run prevention red sox and M’s teams.
  - Jon in CUO
    
    Every track star into an all star, as it were
    - Jon in CUO
      
      Meant for your intelligent Bourn comment above, Doofus. Mobile commenting got me.
BigLoving

It would be fun to watch Bourn, Gardner and Ichiro stow havoc on the base paths while also providing one of the most ridiculous defensive outfields I can think of for the Yanks. But I doubt it will happen bc of the 189 rather than RAB readers not liking the fact that the Yanks lineup doesn’t feature 30+ HR/150+ K potential at every spot 1-9.
- KennyH123
  
  Are you insane? That would easily be the worst offensive OF in the history of baseball.
  - FIPster Doofus
    
    You’re talking to someone who seems to think 30 home runs apiece from nine players would be a bad thing just because they happen to strike out a lot. Strikeouts > home runs seems to becoming more and more popular around here.
  - Tom
    
    Yeah! Sure, a run saved is a run scored, but ten runs saved is NOT the same as ten runs scored. Duh.
  - 5 more strawmens
    
    Worse, say, than the OF of this team:
    http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/1999.shtml
  - Preston
    
    The Astros OF .221/.296/.351 last year. The Mets weren’t much better.
    - Laz
      
      and both were at least 19 games out from 1st place.
- Herby
  
  Don’t think you’d ever see the three of them in an outfield together…even if this was a real consideration by the Yankees which is unlikely, there would probably be a trade that had been developed at the Winter meetings that would’ve led to this. I certainly wouldn’t mind Gardner finding greener pastures, bandages, casts and braces elsewhere. Players with his body type who play with his type of abandon just don’t hold up over a season as we’ve seen. Although I’m not sure Bourne is the answer.
- http://aol amanda
  
  that outfield could hit 15 home runs the gogo yanks um no
- RetroRob
  
  So you prefer your OFers who strike out 150 times to hit 9 HRs? Because that’s what Bourne did. He strikesout like a slugger, but doesn’t hit like one. This of Brett Gardner’s .270 bat mating with Curtis Granderson’s strikeouts without the power. I give you Michael Bourne.
KennyH123

Gardner has tremendous defensive value, but he also grinds out AB’s, works walks, terrorizes the pitcher, catcher, and infield whenever he gets on base, generates fastballs for guys up after him, steals a ton of bases, and generally wreaks havoc. He’s overrated??? Um, no he’s not.
- Herby
  
  Oh yea…pitchers are terrorized when they see the mighty Brett Gardner walk up to the plate. They hide that wet spot in their pants real well.
  - Jacob
    
    But when he gets on base you know they are just like “Not this shit again”
- Andy Pettitte’s Fibula
  
  Gardner is a good player and one of my favorite Yankees but fact is he has a career .326 wOBA and a 98 wRC+ so he’s basically a little less than a league average hitter.
  
  I don’t think he’s terrorizing anyone.
  - Laz
    
    But fact is that Gardner is still a better hitter than Bourn, and he is a hell of a lot cheaper.
    - Andy Pettitte’s Fibula
      
      Yeah. Makes no sense to pay top dollar for Bourn when they have a very similar player already for a fraction of the cost.
- Now Batting
  
  I also recall Girardi saying he hesitated batting him lead off because he thought he might distract Tex and Arod when at bat.
- http://aol amanda
  
  you forot gets hurt has a bum elbow
- dalelama
  
  Nobody take a called third strike down the middle of the plate prettier than Brett Gardner.
Kevin G.

No fly ball is safe!
j

Gee I wonder who would float that rumor? Maybe his agent…
Andy Pettitte’s Fibula

Cashman probably has some degree of interest in pretty much every free agent so reports like these from Cafardo just show there’s not much going on.

Pretty soon, theyll be reporting what Cashman had for breakfast.
- Robinson Tilapia
  
  The $1.89 breakfast sandwich at the deli across the street.
  - Andy Pettitte’s Fibula
    
    I was thinking more like a bowl of fruit loops
    - Robinson Tilapia
      
      You could probably walk a few blocks from YS3 and get a decent bacon, egg, and cheese for $1.89.
      - Jacob
        
        Why use that $1.89 on cereal or BEC when you could just eat the left over mac and cheese from last week?
        
        Chris
        
        Well they ARE going to be on a budget…maybe they limited Cash’s options for breakfast also. So leftovers!
Robinson Tilapia

Rumors I Don’t Believe, Part 834.
Chuck

I think if any signings go on it will be as promised the bottom feeding type. Maybe a trade here or there. I’m okay with the team we have. Just hope to see some prospects come up and develop. I really enjoyed the end of 11 watching montero
Jacob

No thanks, I like bourn but not on the yankees.
Brian S.

I’m actually a huge Bourn fan so I support this move as long as it is for three years.
- Laz
  
  I don’t see the need. He is actually a lesser hitter than Gardner is, and how many cfers does the team need.
http://aol amanda

another free agent lie is born eh
- Dr. Vinny Boombatz
  
  good one! hopefully not borne in ny (yankees)…the mets can have him
Mister D

I stopped lending credibility at “Nick Cafardo”.
RetroRob

He’s only 30. The Yankees won’t be interested in him for at least another three or four years!

Seriously, this makes little sense, although I don’t think Cafardo is making this up entirely. The truth is somewhere between. I’m sure the Yankees are monitoring the entire free-agent market, and if a quality player falls into their lap at a below-market price, they probably would go for it. They would then turn around and trade one of their OFers, most likely Gardner to fill another need. Gardner is cheaper than Bourne, but if they thought they could fill another need cheaper by using Gardner, then maybe it makes sense.

Mostly, though, this is as likely a true story as the Hamilton rumors were. Just the Yankees checking about just in case they see a scenario that makes sense.
- Jacob
  
  This is getting really old just quit.
  - RetroRob
    
    Strike two.
Ted Nelson

Doubt it’s legit, but if it is I wonder if the Yankees aren’t putting a lot more value on OF defense than the mainstream view. Would be interesting if they’ve developed some more advanced defensive metrics.
- RetroRob
  
  I thought about that, although I can’t see them going forward with all three OF slots filled with similar type of low-power players. I can see them value hunting and then making additional trades.
  - Ted Nelson
    
    That’s why I say that I doubt it’s legit. I’m just wondering if they’ve happened to find that truly elite OF defense is more important to winning games than power. I doubt it, just wondering. A lot of people seem to still assume teams are dumb when it comes to advanced stats and lagging behind the fans, I guess because that’s the way it started out. These days I really doubt that’s true for the well run organizations. They can hire people who are as smart as just about any fan and give them far more resources to work with.
- Andy Pettitte’s Fibula
  
  Considering aside from the few games that Gardner played, their only outfielder who was even close to average defensively was Swisher, that would be a pretty big change in philosophy from the last few years.
  - Ted Nelson
    
    Yeah, Ichiro is a terrible defender.
    
    Don’t you get tired of always being wrong?
Jacob

The other thing with bourn is for a stolen base guy you have to get on base more than just a .348 clip, I mean come on
dan gen

189,189,189,189,189,189,189,189,189,189,189,189,reality sucks1
Sterling

Another idiot move by Cashman. He needs to go.
pistol pete

That rumor is nonsense. The Yankees have no interest in Bourn, if they do they’re out of their minds.
http://fendersonandhampton.com Cuso

A Boston beat-writer says the Yankees have quiet interest.

Okay….
trr

Ain’t happening, let’s move on.
Robinson Tilapia

Light a candle for Brian S. tonight. There will be no Michael Bourn in pinstipes.

Then again, the report did come from Wally Matthews.
Greg

rather have Jason Bourne that Michael Bourn. At least he can kill people.
- Robinson Tilapia
  
  FUN FACT: I’ve actually been in Brett Ratner’s apartment. His doorbell has what name on it? Yup, J. Bourne.
Bruce

Jut another example of Carfardo talking out of his butt. He has no clue. Chalk it up to his market.
dkidd

nick cafardo woke up this morning to find a gift basket from scott boras on the bedside table
Greg

We have 13 pitchers for 12 spots. We have 11 position players for 13 spots. I’m assuming two 2 Cervelli, Stewart and Romine make it, Nunez makes it and Dickerson makes it. So we have to add another infielder (hopefully someone who can play both corner spots) and another outfielder/DH type (like Swisher, for instance).