What the future holds for Michael Bourn

[HMFFL]

Bourn, Nationals May Be Inevitable Match

The Nationals need a center fielder and Michael Bourn is headed for free agency this winter.

An executive joked recently that there isn't a more inevitable connection this coming offseason than Bourn and Washington.

"Can we just put that one in the books now?" the executive said.

Bourn is also represented by Scott Boras, who also works with Stephen Strasburg, Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper. http://baseball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_ ... ble_match/

[Nemesis21]

I really want to see Bourn re-signed and Mac extended. Unfortunately Liberty Media is cheap and has decreased the payroll every year since owning the Braves. It will be hard to keep both.

[bstrassburg]

I have a bad feeling this picture is going to happen, they shed a lot of contract weight this season and will have a desperate need for an OF next year.

[HMFFL]

I have a bad feeling this picture is going to happen, they shed a lot of contract weight this season and will have a desperate need for an OF next year.

You could very well be right.

[HMFFL]

Dan Uggla chimed in on Friday when Braves teammate Michael Bourn was asked about his pending free agency.

"We've already got it figured out," the infielder said.

"It could be a distraction to teammates," added Bourn, who will be targeted by teams looking for a leadoff hitter and above-average center fielder. "That's a personal issue. I'm playing for the Atlanta Braves, and I enjoy it."

Uggla, however, continued to inject himself into the interview.

"He's already got a place in the cul-de-sac," Uggla said. "He doesn't know it yet, but he's buying a house [in Atlanta]."

While everyone in Atlanta likes Bourn, the belief is that the Braves won't be able to afford him. They like to keep their payroll around $90 million and the center fielder will be an expensive option. http://baseball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_ ... th_braves/

[HMFFL]

AJC: Can Braves afford to keep Bourn? Can they afford not to?

He’s their best center fielder since Andruw Jones and most dynamic leadoff man since Rafael Furcal, and Braves players and fans have seen enough of Michael Bourn in 12 months to know he’s someone the team needs to make every effort to keep from leaving Atlanta as a free agent this winter.

The question isn’t just whether the Braves, with their middle-of-the-pack payroll, can afford to keep him. It’s can they afford not to keep him? That is, without taking a step back from the progress their offense has made with Bourn at the top of the lineup. http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-braves-blo ... raves_blog