Indians officially sign Bourn

By foxsports
Published

The Indians will conduct a press conference today in Goodyear, Arizona with Bourn, Chris Antonetti and Scott Boras at 1:15PM MT/3:15PM ET
 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                            February 15, 2013
 
INDIANS SIGN FREE AGENT OF MICHAEL BOURN
TO A FOUR-YEAR CONTRACT THRU 2016
 
Two-Time All-Star & Rawlings Gold Glove Recipient


CLEVELAND, OH - The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has signed free agent OF MICHAEL BOURN to a four-year Major League contract with a club option for 2017.
 
Bourn, 30, owns a career Major League batting average of .272 (820-for-3015) with 125 doubles, 45 triples, 22 home runs and 215 RBI over a 7-year career with Philadelphia, Houston and Atlanta. He has also stolen 276 bases in 340 attempts (81%) and has scored 459 runs in 871 games. The Houston, Texas native is a two-time National League All-Star (2010, 2012) and a two-time recipient of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award (2009, 2010) and led the NL in steals over three straight seasons, 2009-2011, while finishing second in the NL in steals last year.
 
Since 2008, he leads all Major Leaguers with 257 stolen bases (55 more than the 2nd ranked player & 177 more than any Indians baserunner) and is second over that span in bunt hits (59) and infield hits (175).  He has exemplary fielding skills, leading all NL outfielders in putouts (383) in 2012 as he led all National League fielders in Total Zone Runs [1] in both 2010 (25) and 2012 (38)
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The left-handed hitter Bourn spent his first full season in Atlanta in 2012, setting career-highs in home runs (9), RBI (57) and walks (70) as he finished second to San Diego’s Everth Cabrera in stolen bases (42).  He finished tied for 7th in the entire NL with a 6.0 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) [2] in 2012, 6th in runs scored (96), tied for 5th in triples (10) and tied for 8th in walks (70) while helping lead Atlanta to a NL Wildcard bid.  He was selected to the 2012 NL All-Star team after posting the 9th-highest average in the Senior Circuit (.311) and following the season garnred votes in the NL MVP voting (18th place, 6.0 points).