Indians add Michael Bourn in latest impressive move
CLEVELAND INDIANS, HOT STOVE, MICHAEL BOURN | COMMENTS

Michael Bourn made only two errors in centerfield for the Braves last season. (John Bazemore/AP)

By Ted Keith

The Indians knew they were losing a former All-Star outfielder this offseason. So they went out and have now gotten two for the price of one, and in the process opened a new era for a team that has made just one postseason appearance in the past 11 years.

On Monday night, in a move first reported by CBSSports.com, Cleveland added the best position player remaining on the free-agent market, agreeing to a four-year, $48 million contract with Michael Bourn. An All-Star with Atlanta last season, the 30-year-old Bourn gives the Indians the leadoff hitter (an average of 51 steals the past five seasons) and centerfielder (rated the best in the majors by Ultimate Zone Rating last year, according to FanGraphs) extraordinaire they’ve needed since injuries robbed the recently departed Grady Sizemore of a promising career. Bourn also pairs with fellow signee Nick Swisher to give the Tribe one of the best — and most surprising — offseason hauls in the majors, one that could even propel them to the fringe of the wild-card race in 2013.

Guess which teams spent more than $100 million this offseason? The Tigers (projected rank of 2013 MLB payroll, according to Yahoo! Sports: sixth), Angels (fourth), Dodgers (first) and . . . Indians? Yep, Cleveland, which had a $78 million payroll last year, has now cracked the nine-figure mark for their winter spending spree after adding Bourn with the Hot Stove’s seventh-richest contract to go with the previously signed Swisher (five-years, $56 million) and Mark Reynolds (one year, $6 million).

Had those been the Indians’ only three moves of note they could be easily dismissed as a foolish get-rich-quick scheme unlikely to vault a team that finished with the next-to-last record in the American League in 2012 into the postseason just one year later.

Instead, Cleveland also traded for top pitching prospect Trevor Bauer and yet another strong defensive outfielder in Drew Stubbs in a three-way trade with the Diamondbacks and Reds, respectively, signed veteran pitcher Brett Myers to bolster their rotation and hired manager Terry Francona in hopes he can do something he did twice for the Red Sox: lead a team to a long-awaited World Series title.

Considering Cleveland lost 94 games a year ago, the franchise’s first championship since 1948 is still likely a long way off, especially given the Tigers’ status as AL Central frontrunners and a deep field of AL contenders that includes the Yankees, Blue Jays, Rays and Orioles in the East and the A’s, Rangers and Angels in the AL West.

For once, though, Cleveland was able to be aggressive in the open market, taking advantage of baseball’s increasing revenue streams as well as the fact that both Swisher and Bourn had to settle for deals far below what they had reportedly been seeking when the offseason began. As a result, the Tribe landed Swisher, Bourn and Reynolds for 10 seasons combined and less money ($112 million) than what the Angels gave to Josh Hamilton ($125 million) for half that much time.

In addition, the Indians were able to add Bourn without losing a draft pick; because they have the No. 5 selection in the June draft, it will be protected. That will allowing them to enhance their farm system which, despite their recent forays onto the open market, will likely have to be the biggest source of talent if Cleveland is to recapture its glory years from the late 1990s, when homegrown stars like Albert Belle, Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez fueled a run of six AL Central titles in seven seasons.

While making three All-Star teams in his first four full seasons, Sizemore seemed like the kind of franchise player whom the organization could build on, and depend upon, for years to come. He averaged 6.0 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball-Reference.com, from 2005-08. Repeated knee injuries ended that dream and caused the Indians to go in search of his replacement, which has now led them to Bourn, who, coincidentally, posted a 6.0 bWAR in 2012, albeit at an older age than Sizemore had been. Whether Bourn can also do what Sizemore did by being the catalyst of a Cleveland playoff team remains to be seen, but if nothing else, Indians fans will now be able to look at their centerfielder and wonder not about what might have been, but what might yet be.

Supposedly, Swisher is telling people that he signed to be the Indians first baseman.

It looks like the Antonetti's cruise fell through this year. He was actually working from the last week of the regular season when he hired the manager to around the day pitchers and catchers were to report when he hired a center fielder. Maybe he took the cruise during season last year.

Finally the FO got off their asses and did something.

Hope they're not done.

Got to make some moves to help the starting pitching.

Look for another move during camp once they get a look at their starting pitching for a couple of weeks.

Now they have some hitters so don't be surprised if they try to move Carlos Santana for a real defensive catcher that can call games and help the pitching.

Brantley becomes excess parts and needs to be flipped for some pitching. Won't get much for an OF with no pop and no arm.

Federoff and Zeke Cabrera are now stuck in the minors waiting for an injury or trade.

From "Bleacher Report". [ I doubt Giambi will be the DH. Stubbs should be in the lineup against lefties and the DH spot can be shared among Santana, Reynolds, Swisher, Aviles. I like the OBAs; lots of these guys know how to take walks, as well as how to strike out.]


Here is how the Indians lineup could look on opening day with each player's 2012 on-base percentage in parenthesis:

CF Bourn (.348)

2B Kipnis (.335)

SS Cabrera (.338)

RF Swisher (.364)

C Santana (.365)

LF Brantley (.348)

1B Reynolds (.335)

DH Giambi (.372)

3B Chisenhall (.311)

The thing that jumps out about the Indians is how strong they are on defense with Bourn, Kipnis, Cabrera and Santana. Very few teams in baseball have that type of offensive talent at each of the premium defensive positions.

The Indians also have good depth behind their starters. Giambi, who they signed to a minor league deal, is 42 years old and hasn’t been a fulltime player since 2008. Thus, the DH spot will likely be used as a place to get him some at-bats and to get some rest for the regular position players.

With Stubbs, infielder Mike Aviles and catcher Lou Marson on the bench, the Indians will have the depth to give their regulars a breather in the DH spot.

Unfortunately for Cleveland, their busy offseason isn’t going to be enough for them to overtake the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central this season. Cleveland’s lineup is outstanding on paper, [still an overstatement] but their rotation just doesn’t measure up with that of the Tigers.

The additions of Bauer and Myers to the staff are not enough for a team that finished with a 5.25 rotation ERA in 2012—second worst in the American League.

Bourn, who ranked as one of the best defenders in baseball last season, will help improve a defense that finished near the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency last year. Yet that move alone won't turn Cleveland into a run preventing dynamo.

Cleveland is certainly better than they were last season. However, the Royals are also much improved in the AL Central and the Tigers remain a powerhouse. For the Indians to make the postseason, a lot is going to have to go right for them and wrong for the rest of the league. A wild card spot isn’t out of the question, but it’s not something to bet on.

The Indians lineup looks exceptionally deep, but they’ll need better starting pitching to make a run at the postseason. Unless Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez make drastic improvements, it’s hard to envision that happening.

http://www.stationcaster.com/player_ski ... &f=1077651

Buster Olney on the signing of Bourn.

Like It or Not, Credit is Due
Feb 12, 2013 -- 10:55am


Photo/Getty

By: T.J. Zuppe

That feeling you feel? Right now? I believe that is called excitement.

In Cleveland, it is not often we can take a step back and applaud an organization for doing a great job. Maybe we have been burned too many times. We have an extremely hard time embracing good things.

Or maybe our teams just do not do a good enough job of giving us a reason to stand and cheer. One can only be beaten down by constant losing for so long before they turn into a cynical monster.

We are all guilty of that. I blame it on words like “rebuilding” and “process.”

But when we do get the rare opportunity to give some credit, it is our responsibility to at least acknowledge it in some form. And like it our not, some credit is due.

The Cleveland Indians shocked everyone - including myself - when they signed one of the best free-agents on the market, outfielder Michael Bourn, to a four-year, $48-million dollar contract. Sure, the perfect storm was there for the Tribe to swoop in and land the 30-year old talented center-fielder, but it was foregone conclusion the money was not.

Or so we thought.

Somehow, against all odds, the front office of the Indians convinced the Dolans - the Dolans of all owners(!!) - to dip just a bit deeper into their pockets to land the coveted talent. For that, credit is most certainly due.

But for as shocking as it was when the news broke, we should not let that stop us from giving some sort of ovation to the ownership that is perceived as cheap by their fan base. Because, in this off-season, they’ve stepped up to the plate.

Sure, the Tribe will never be confused with the big spenders in Major League Baseball. In this market, it is real difficult to sustain that. However, spending should not be confused with accountability, something that had been lacking in recent years.

Most fans understand it would be nearly impossible to rank in the top ten of the MLB in salaries, even more unlikely to be there consistently in Cleveland. But not one fan wants to hear about the number of days spent in first place. They want to know how you are going about being there when the season ends.

That is where this off-season began, the Dolans giving the thumbs up to spend extra on a new manager, bringing in one of the most well-respected men in the game, Terry Francona. Francona brought respectability and credibility to an organization that was short on that according to many around the game.

And with the salaries of DH Travis Hafner, outfielder Grady Sizemore, pitcher Derek Lowe, among others coming off the books, the Dolans again gave the green light for general manager Chris Antonetti to infuse the roster with talent, the same way Francona infused the team with energy.

And away they went.

One off-season later, the Tribe emerged with two of the best free-agents on the open market, Bourn and Nick Swisher. They spent the extra cash to add some depth to the rotation in Brett Myers and added power in Mark Reynolds. They traded outfielder Shin-Soo Choo to clear the way for a top-notch pitching prospect in Trevor Bauer and outfielder Drew Stubbs.

And sure, they did a little dumpster diving in picking up DH Jason Giambi and pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Scott Kazmir. Old habits die hard.

But what was created was a team that got the fans excited for baseball in this town.

Sure, the payroll for 2013 is not astronomical compared to the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers or even Detroit Tigers. Heck, it really is not even that much higher than it was in 2012.

Still, a great deal of financial assets were tied up into trying to change the stale culture surrounding Indians baseball. Indeed, it looks like this ownership and front office is trying to win now.

Will it work? Who knows. It has been proven time and time again, what looks good on paper does not always translate to the field. There are still plenty of questions to be answered this season - most of them in the pitching staff.

But at least they are trying.

Credit is due to a Tribe front office that has taken it’s lumps lately - and rightfully so.

But in a land of Cleveland teams looking at a constant rebuild, the Indians organization stepped up and tried something new - attempted to build a winner, right now. And for that, at least this time, they deserve a tip of the cap.

Sure, the payroll for 2013 is not astronomical compared to the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers or even Detroit Tigers. Heck, it really is not even that much higher than it was in 2012.

Heard that somewhere before..........

Starting to be pretty obvious that something is going on with the Indians. There has been a rumor floating around that the Dolans have a contingency in hand to sell the Indians after this year. STO was to be sold this year and the Indians next year.

These signings with very little upfront money for 2013 make it look like a team getting ready to change hands.

paul hoynes ‏ @ hoynsie

Nick Swisher on anticipated move to first base: That's the position I thought I was going to play when I signed.

paul hoynes ‏ @ hoynsie

Post Bourn look at # Indians: Brantley LF, Bourn CF, Stubbs RF, Swisher 1B, Reynolds DH. All affected players have been told.

"The team already had Drew Stubbs and Michael Brantley, two competent center fielders, under contract for this year, but Bourn is better than either of them and takes over the center field job, pushing them to left field or the trade block. Assuming no one is dealt, this probably pushes Nick Swisher to first base, hurting his value slightly, and Mark Reynolds to DH, which does the same."

I am not sure what is meant by 'value' - maybe fantasy value?- but Reynolds as DH and Swisher at 1B makes the team a lot better. And the OF defense should be the best in baseball...

And AC can still be flipped for a bona fide starter when St. Louis realizes their SS has no arm.

So Santana is going to sit when he need a break from behind the plate?

WOW WOW WOW

This morning on XM radio they said "M. Bourn" has been signed and I waited to hear, by whom? Nearly drove off the road when they said, and it wasn't because of the patch of black ice I hit.

An interesting blog/article from Lets go Tribe:

Pirates and Mark Appel Help Indians Land Bourn

By Ryan on Feb 11, 11:02p 7

No, not the Captain Morgan kind, the baseball kind.

As mentioned several places in the main thread, the 2013 draft played a very large part in the Indians being able to land Michael Bourn.

When the Pittsburgh Pirates didn't sign their 2012 first-round selection, the newly-signed CBA allowed them a compensatory pick at the exact same spot in the 2013 draft. As they picked Mark Appel eighth in the 2012 Draft, they received the eighth selection in the 2013 draft in addition to their regular selection. That bumped everyone below them down a slot, including the New York Mets, who instead of picking 10th this June will pick 11th.

That one pick drop may not seem like much, but thanks to another part of the CBA, it made all the difference in the world. Under the new CBA, draft pick compensation was retained but tightened up considerably. Not as many players would qualify for compensation (the club would have to offer a sizable one-year contract equal to the average of the top 125 salaries), and the player must have played the entire previous season with a club for that club to get a compensatory pick. For example, if a team signs a player that received a qualifying offer, that club would forfeit their first round selection, and the club that lost the player would get a compensatory selection at the end of the first round.

That is, unless the signing club had a first round selection in the first ten picks in the first round. The Indians, who pick fifth in June, didn't have to give up their first round pick when they signed Nick Swisher (who received a qualifying offer from the Yankees); instead, because their first round pick was protected, they only had to give up a second round pick.

Well, if the Pirates had signed Mark Appel, the New York Mets would have been in the same boat, as their tenth overall pick would have been protected. But because the Pirates didn't sign Appel, the Mets dropped down eleventh in draft order, meaning that they would have to give their pick if they signed Bourn. Over the last couple weeks, the Mets have been trying to get a ruling from MLB on whether their pick would be protected or not, but when Commisioner Selig told the Mets that it would be several weeks until a ruling would be issued, Bourn decided he could wait no longer, taking the Indians' four-year deal over a similar one offered by the Mets.

The Indians by signing Bourn will give up their Competitive Balance pick (69th overall) that the Indians received in the a lottery. So even after signing both Swisher and Bourn, they have selections in the first and third rounds. In other words, because the Indians were so bad, they had a distinct advantage in the free agent market because their first round selection was safe. The Mets, however, weren't quite bad enough to be able to sign a major free agent with losing their pick thanks to the Pirates and Mark Appel.