Michael Bourn

Long gone are the days in which Bourn's speed on the basepaths and Gold Glove defense made him a coveted big league player. Following a 2015 campaign in which he posted a futile 66 wRC+, the Braves cut bait. He was scooped up by the Blue Jays shortly thereafter but released before he appeared in a single major league contest. The Diamondbacks took a flier on Bourn and he operated as their regular center fielder before being shipped to the Orioles late in the season. When it was all said and done, he had compiled 413 plate appearances in 113 games. He showed he still has something in the tank, swiping 15 bases in 20 attempts, but Bourn is now 34 and it's hard to imagine he'll get to 400 at-bats again this season.

Cleveland and Atlanta swapped bad contracts in a post-waiver-deadline deal, with the Braves sending third baseman Chris Johnson to Cleveland and netting Bourn and Nick Swisher. It was not a move that excited the fanbase, but it fit into the Braves' rebuilding plan, as both Bourn and Swisher's deals expire after the 2016 season. The change of scenery did not help Bourn get on track, as he posted just a .561 OPS in 46 games with Atlanta down the stretch, going 4-for-6 on the basepaths to give him 17 steals in 24 attempts for the season. With the speed leaving him, and the on-base numbers declining in recent years, the two-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner's days as an everyday option appear over. He currently projects to open the year as the Braves' fourth outfielder, but it's possible the 33-year-old may not even make it to the Opening Day roster.

Following offseason surgery on his left hamstring, Bourn opened the season on the disabled list after straining the same muscle during spring training. Upon returning, he lasted just three weeks before suffering a setback in May, and the injury surfaced again prior to the All-Star break in July, landing him on the disabed list again for nearly six weeks. Not surprisingly, the contributions from Bourn in the stolen-base department were significantly impacted by the ongoing hamstring woes, as he finished with 10 steals over 106 games. Two years into a four-year, $48 million deal with the Tribe, Bourn has been a shell of the player he was when he eclipsed 40 steals in five consecutive seasons (2008-2012). Now 32, his ceiling has fallen, but with health there is potential for a bounce back on the strength of his ability to pile up runs scored atop the Cleveland lineup.

Bourn's first year in Cleveland wasn't nearly as fantasy friendly as his previous five with the Astros and Braves. He finished with just 23 stolen bases, after swiping 40-plus in each of those five. Bourn is never going to provide much power, and the Indians don't run much as a team, but there is still seemingly some stolen-base upside. It's entirely possible that injuries slowed him throughout the year, as Bourn had offseason surgery to repair an injured hamstring. He's expected to make a full recovery before spring training and will be back as the team's everyday leadoff hitter in the second season of his four-year pact with the Tribe.

On June 10, Bourn was in the midst of a breakout year with a .320/.372/.469 line through 60 games. After that date, however, he would hit for just a .670 OPS. Bourn particularly struggled in September, when he hit for just a .613 OPS in the middle of the Braves' playoff run. Bourn is still a good hitter and he is one of the best defensive outfielders in the league. That should net him plenty of playing time and a significant contract in free agency. Bourn's biggest fantasy value will come from being one of the best basestealers in the game, though it will be interesting to see if he ever gets back to the 60-plus level of 2009 and 2011 after he was caught 13 times in 55 attempts last season.

Bourn enters 2012 as Atlanta's center fielder and leadoff hitter and is a key fantasy player due to his speed. Bourn began last season strong for the Astros by hitting .303 with 39 stolen bases before he was traded at the end of July to Atlanta. He hit just .278 with Atlanta, but still was given the green light on the basepaths with 22 steals in 53 games. Bourn has great speed which gives him outstanding range in the outfield and makes him a terror on the basepaths (81 percent success rate last season). Although his walk rate was down last season (to 7.3 percent from 9.8 percent in 2010), he typically draws enough walks to make his speed useful on the basepaths and overcome his lack of power. However, his high strikeout totals and average contact rate are always a worry. Still, he showed he'll still steal bases in Atlanta and that will make him an impact player in most fantasy formats.

Bourn started 2010 hot, hitting over .300 into the middle of May before reaching a season low batting average of .244 in August. He finished the season strong, hitting .339 over his final 59 at-bats, and recording a .897 OPS in the process. After all was said and done, Bourn's batting average wound up 20 points lower (.265) than it was in 2009, reducing him to effectively a one-category player. Overall, there are still positives here as his contact rate (80 percent) and walk rate (10 percent) were improved over 2009, and he'll remain the leadoff hitter in a Houston offensive that will continue to give him the green light on the basepaths.

After a .229/.288/.300 2008 campaign, there weren't many believers that Bourn could ever become a viable major league starter. Astros manager Cecil Cooper gave him a shot -- first in the bottom half of the order, and once Kaz Matsui hit the DL, at the top of Astros' lineup. Bourn didn't disappoint, hitting .285 with 12 triples and 61 steals. Bourn applies his speed as well as any player in the game, and now that he has finally figured out how to get on base, that speed is translating into runs (97 for an Astros team that finished 14th in runs scored in the NL). Sure, the strikeouts are disconcerting, but he should continue to be an effective top-of-the-order weapon and among the NL leaders in stolen bases in 2010.

Bourn entered the year with his first chance to be an everyday player, and while he got the majority of the starts in center field, there were plenty of downs in his 2008 campaign. He ended up losing the job to Darin Erstad in July when his batting average dipped down to .218. He won the spot back later in the year, and ended up climbing back up to .229 with five homers and 29 RBI. His speed makes him lethal on the basepaths and if he can develop into a more reliable contact guy -- he struck out 111 times in 467 at-bats -- and learn to take more walks (37), he could be a very profitable player in fantasy. Until then, he’ll never be able to fully take advantage of his strongest asset.

Bourn was limited to mostly a pinch-running role, but still managed to steal 18 bases in 19 tries as a reserve for the Phillies in 2007. He will most likely be the Astros' Opening Day starter in center field after being traded to Houston in the Brad Lidge deal, though the acquisition of Darin Erstad makes his role a little less certain. With a full season of at-bats, the 24-year-old has the pure speed and baserunning skills to light up the basepaths and become the major league stolen-base champ, assuming he can improve his on-base skills.

Bourn is about to earn a shot in Philadelphia's outfield after spending the last two years in the upper minors. He has good speed (46 steals) and uses it well, being caught just seven times. Aaron Rowand will return as the Phillies' center fielder, but given his injury history, expect Bourn to come up at some point and get 200 or so at-bats. Long-term, Bourn still needs to add power (just five homers in 2006) to his game to be an everyday player.

Bourn has speed and good range in center, but his offensive game is a work in progress. He needs to make better contact and drive the ball more consistently in Triple-A to get a shot in Philadelphia this year.

This young Phillies outfielder ran wild in the low Single-A Sally League, leading it with 58 steals and 85 walks while hitting .315. Bourn is a left-handed hitter who makes good contact. He could well be a major league regular, but we won't have a better idea until he hits at Double-A. As someone with three years of college ball under his belt, he will be on the fast track in 2005.