Free agent outfielder Michael Bourn spurns the Mets for the Cleveland Indians
According to multiple reports, free-agent OF Michael Bourn has agreed to a 4-year, $48 million deal (with the chance to make it 5-years, $60 million) with the Cleveland Indians. He is the second high-priced outfield acquisition made by the Indians this off-season. Earlier this winter, they signed free-agent RF Nick Swisher to a 4-year, $56 million deal with an option for a 5th year.
So naturally when this was announced, the Mets twitterverse exploded. There are too may vulgar words to post any of the tweets, but most of them were directed to Mets General Manager, Sandy Alderson. The vast majority of the tweets included “EFF”, “YOU”, and Alderson.
Understandably so, Mets fans feel abused once again. It finally seemed like there was going to be a Major League caliber outfielder signed this off-season, but it was not to be.
#Mets offer to Bourn was 4 yrs with no options at the same $48M range he got from #Indians
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) February 12, 2013
The final straw in this saga that has pushed many fans over the edge, is that the Mets and Bourn had a very similar deal in place, but Alderson had asked Bourn and his agent, Scott Boras to wait 2 or 3 more weeks for a ruling on the infamous draft pick. It would have taken two to three weeks more to get a ruling, pushing this well into spring training.
Honestly, this will wind up being a blessing in disguise for the Mets. There is no way you can actually give a 30-year old outfielder, who relies on his legs, that kind of money and years. If he wound up with the Mets, we all know that by the 3rd year of that contract, he would have had nagging hamstring issues and he will lose his range in cavernous Citi Field.
If you follow me on Twitter, you know from day one I have been extremely against signing Bourn from day one. I understand that he’s an outfielder and better than anyone that the Mets currently have, but that doesn’t mean you throw every last dollar you have at the guy. Mets fans keep talking about him like he’s Josh Hamilton. He’s not. He’s Michael Bourn. A one-time gold glove winning center fielder who steals bases. He’s left-handed. He’s a slap hitter. He has struck out THREE HUNDRED TIMES in the past two seasons. Let that sink in Mets fans. Three. Hundred. Times. Did I mention his OPS over the past 4 seasons is .704? For reference, Daniel Murphy has a .766 career OPS.
This is NOT the type of guy who is going to take the Mets from a 70 win team, to an 86 min, wild-card contending team. I’m sorry, but he’s just not. There is one thing that Sandy Alderson has done so far with this team and it’s how to be fiscally responsible. I’m sure he has looked at the books extensively and knows that as a business, the New York Mets are pretty darn close to becoming one of those “dot com” companies of the early 2000’s.
Building a winner from within has been Alderson’s message from day one. If Bourn had become a Met, that would have been straying away from the plan. Stay the course Sandy. Don’t let the WFAN mongos get in your head and make you second guess your plan.
