Bourn Signs With Cleveland

Though many fans and observers of the Texas Rangers might have liked to have seen an upgrade in center field heading into the 2013 season, Rangers GM Jon Daniels has repeatedly said he's ready to go to battle with a platoon of Leonys Martin and Craig Gentry, and that the club would not sign free agent Michael Bourn because they would have to forfeit their first-round pick to the Atlanta Braves after they extended a qualifying offer that he declined.

Bourn, a speedy center fielder with no power but a big-time talent to steal bases, was the most coveted free agent position player left on the market and on Monday he signed a four-year deal for $48 million, a relative bargain for a player of Bourn's caliber.

Bourn would have been a nice fit in the Rangers' lineup given his ability to steal bases, but he would not have been much of an upgrade above what they currently have in Martin and Gentry. Martin has flashed more power than Bourn ever has, albeit against minor-league pitching, but both Rangers players have plenty of speed of their own — not 60 stolen bases in a year speed, but plenty of speed nonetheless.

So yeah, on the surface this seems like another big target that went elsewhere, but in reality it's a guy the Rangers never really had any real intentions of signing.

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