MLB Detroit Tigers

Peter Bourjos Could Be A Nice Fit For Detroit Tigers In Center Field

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By @Brad_Faber

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Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Last November, the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to send relief pitcher Fernando Salas and 2011 World Series MVP David Freese to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for outfield prospect Randal Grichuk and speedy center fielder Peter Bourjos. While the Cardinals appeared to have big plans for Bourjos heading into the 2014 campaign, Jon Jay essentially took the center field position and ran with it, leaving Bourjos in the dust.

Bourjos ended his season slashing just .231/.294/.348 with four home runs and 24 RBIs through 119 games. Heading into 2015, Jay is expected to remain the team’s starting center fielder, and Bourjos’ future with the Cardinals seems to be up in the air.

Moreover, Bourjos is arbitration eligible and some have speculated that he may be a non-tender candidate, creating the interesting possibility that he could hit the free agent market this winter. If the Cardinals do tender him a contract, however, he might also potentially become an interesting trade chip for St. Louis.

In dire need of a center fielder, one could see the Detroit Tigers showing a certain amount of interest in Bourjos if he does in fact become available.

Sure, Bourjos is a right-handed hitter and the right-handed heavy Tigers are starving for left-handed bats. However, Bourjos’ reputation as a defensive wizard combined with the fact that he will still only be 28 years old at the start of next season may simply be too good for Detroit to pass up.

Furthermore, having a player who is able to competently man the spacious center field of Comerica Park may be more important than adding a left-handed hitting center fielder. Plus, the Tigers will have other opportunities to add a left-handed stick to fill other positions. Although it will be costly, retaining the switch-hitting Victor Martinez still appears to be a possibility, and if not, the Tigers could explore other options such as signing Melky Cabrera or trading for Adam Lind.

Lefty-swinging youngsters such as Tyler Collins and Steven Moya may also be in the mix for a corner spot in the Tigers’ outfield next spring.

Bourjos may also be able to provide a pleasant surprise with his bat. Back in 2011, a year before Mike Trout took Los Angeles and the rest of MLB by storm, Bourjos slashed a respectable .271/.327/.438 with 26 doubles, 11 triples, 12 home runs, 22 stolen bases and 43 RBIs. Perhaps he can still rediscover the swing he had back then.

The Tigers’ do have a few center field-capable prospects in their minor league system such as Daniel Fields, Devon Travis and 2014 first-round draft pick Derek Hill, but none of them are expected to be ready on Opening Day of 2015. Bourjos may be the ideal candidate to provide the short-term, stopgap solution that Detroit may be looking for.

Brad Faber is a Detroit Tigers writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Brad_Faber, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on LinkedIn or Google. 

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