Toronto Blue Jays Sign Michael Bourn

The Blue Jays added outfield depth Friday morning by signing veteran Michael Bourn. He is in the minors now, but could surface on the major-league level soon.

The Toronto Blue Jays have one of the best lineups, top to bottom. It’s hard to find a glaring weakness, and that’s scary for the rest of the American League. To make matters worse, the team added depth by signing veteran outfielder Michael Bourn to a minor-league deal. He may not have any fantasy value currently, there is something still there if he is ever called up this season. 

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Bourn’s career began in 2006 with the Philadelphia Phillies. He wasn’t a household name until the 2009 season with the Houston Astros. In 157 games, he had 173 hits and hit .285 while stealing 61 bases. He stole 52 bases the following year and another 61 in 2011 between the Astros and Atlanta Braves.

Unfortunately, his career went downhill from there. Hamstring injuries and poor play affected his fantasy and real-life value. He signed a four-year deal with the Cleveland Indians, but was traded to the Braves in August of last season. He played in 141 games, hitting .238 and stealing just 17 bases.

As a result of his decline, the Blue Jays didn’t have to put up a lot of money to sign him. It’s a typical low-risk, high-reward kind of deal. He will likely spend a couple of weeks in the minors just to back into the swing of things (no pun intended). If it all goes well, Michael Bourn will get the call to the main roster and supplant Ezequiel Carrera as the No. 4 outfielder.

Carrera isn’t much of a batter either. He is a career .257 hitter with five home runs and 28 steals in 273 total games. He also struggles in the field, posting a -1 defensive runs saves as a center fielder. Bour, on the other hand, has 69 defensive runs saves in 1082 games as a center fielder.

Next: Rays' Blake Snell Gets the Call

Again, I wouldn’t rush to the waiver wire to pick up Michael Bourn if you play in a standard league. If you play in a deeper league (16-20 teams), then he is definitely someone to keep on your watch list. It’ll be interesting to see where he hits in the Blue Jays batting order and how that affects everyone around him. Regardless, he should still be able to hit the ball and get on base.