The Phanatic Magazine kicked off its 35 straight days of Phillies on February 25, one article per day detailing each member battling for position as the season begins. Also, look for Michael Rushton's season outlook, which will cap the offseason look at the Phillies on Opening Day -- April 2nd against Atlanta.
DAY 10: Michael Bourn
By John McMullen
The Phanatic Magazine
Two things could derail the 2007 Philadelphia Phillies -- the bullpen and the lack of a consistent offensive punch from an outfield scheduled to feature Pat Burrell, Aaron Rowand and Shane Victorino.
And, things could get even murkier in the outfield if the Phillies flip Rowand to supplement the bullpen, as was rumored in the offseason.
Understand, Pat Gillick would have parted ways with Rowand if he could have gotten Scott Linebrink in return from San Diego and there is still some hope in the Phillies front office that the Padres will revisit that trade proposal later in the spring.
Gillick's willingness to part with the scrappy Rowand has a lot to do with Michael Bourn. Bourn has been on Baseball America's top 10 Phillies prospect list since 2004 and scouts have raved about his fantastic speed and strike-zone discipline.
The Houston native definitely has the wheels to steal 40-plus bases and make the turn from first-to-third with the best of them. Bourn is also an above average center fielder with a strong, accurate arm and his offensive skills make him a natural leadoff hitter, if he can cut down on the strikeouts.
But, it might be time for Bourn to turn from "prospect" into player. At 24 years old, the clock is ticking.
Conventional wisdom says Bourn is still probably a year away from being ready to be an every day player in the majors. So, if there is no trade and there are no consistent at-bats for Bourn, he would be better off at Triple-A, getting consistent playing time.
Tomorrow: Chris Roberson
No comments:
Post a Comment