Don't you think that's too harsh? Bourn has established himself as a 5-win player over the past four years. Pierre did not come close to that. This research shows that speedy guys (not speed itself, but speedy players) age well compared to other players.

 

Even if you don't take that into account, and just knock off the standard half-win per year from the level Bourn has established during his prime, and that's 15 wins over the next four years (4.5+4+3.5+3). Still a productive starter. I'm not sure the years or money Bourn will eventually get, but maybe the contract won't be as bad as many seem to think.

 

The problem with a guy like Bourn is that a good amount of his value comes from defense and defense alone. From what you posted up there, nothing specified defense and aging for speedsters (just the general trend). Once a speedster loses his great ability to cover the field on defense, his value drops dramatically. Some possible problems with the research you posted are that the players they deemed fast, such as Hanley, Crawford, and Reyes, are hitters who are more multi-dimensional, not to mention better overall hitters. Bourn is a singles hitter that gets on base at a slightly above average clip. Absolutely nothing special. So once he loses his ability to steal 60 bases a year and provide 15 runs worth of defense in center field, what is he? A 3 win player? If Bourn was 26 instead of 29, I'd have no problem with anybody looking to sign him to a 5 year $80 million contract. But he's 29 and his ability to give you 5 WAR seasons may not last too long.

 

Michael Bourn is pretty much Juan Pierre when he was in his prime, just with more strike outs and a few more walks. Maybe with slightly more power, but not much more. We all saw how Juan Pierre aged, I don't want to go through that again.

BREAKING: Royals acquire James Shields and Wade Davis from TB for Wil Myers and other prospects.

BREAKING: Royals acquire James Shields and Wade Davis from TB for Wil Myers and other prospects.

Wow, Royals really attempting to bolster their pitching staff. KC GM being very aggressive.

BREAKING: Royals acquire James Shields and Wade Davis from TB for Wil Myers and other prospects.

 

Wow. What a great trade for TB.

BREAKING: Royals acquire James Shields and Wade Davis from TB for Wil Myers and other prospects.

Insane KC overpay

Insane KC overpay

Tell me about it...

It's an overpay if you believe in those Royals prospects. The Royals have had a ton of misses over the last better part of a decade. I mean, how often do we hear of them having a stocked farm system, only to have so few of them ever pan out? Wil Myers looks great, yeah, but for the first time in a while the Royals have a MLB club to be dealt with, not just the threat of a "good future team".

Edited December 10, 201213 yr by JoeCoolMan24

Lookin' like we'll go 4-14 against them next year.

Rays also get Odorizzi, Montgomery, and Leonard. Rob Neyer tweeted it's the worst trade in baseball history. Over on a Royals board, some people are denouncing their fandom.

Insane KC overpay

Two major league proven pitchers for a few suspects? I think the Royals got a better deal unless their are 3-4 pitchers going to TB.

 

Edit: nevermind I just saw the pitchers that went over. The royals still strengthening their current team.

Edited December 10, 201213 yr by ptatc

Rays also get Odorizzi, Montgomery, and Leonard. Rob Neyer tweeted it's the worst trade in baseball history. Over on a Royals board, some people are denouncing their fandom.

 

ROFLMAO. Montgomery too? Do they understand that James Shields only has like one year left on his contract?

Lookin' like we'll go 4-14 against them next year.

 

I'd rather face Shields and Davis as opposed to Bruce Chen.

Opening Day- Sale vs Shields...fun.

Wow. What an awful trade by KC. HUGE overpay.

Edited December 10, 201213 yr by DirtySox

Rays also get Odorizzi, Montgomery, and Leonard. Rob Neyer tweeted it's the worst trade in baseball history. Over on a Royals board, some people are denouncing their fandom.

lolz, that's f***in awful.

Royals Review should be a treat tonight.

One can only dream that this sets the market for Gavin pretty high.

One can only dream that this sets the market for Gavin pretty high.

 

Dayton Moore's just stupid.

I don't think anyone can deny this gives the Royals the best team they have had in a long time, and that's important to mention.

I don't think anyone can deny this gives the Royals the best team they have had in a long time, and that's important to mention.

 

If that gets them to .500, is that even close to being worth it? Your team isn't going very far when James Shields is by far your best starting pitcher.

Edited December 10, 201213 yr by chw42

I'd rather face Shields and Davis as opposed to Bruce Chen.

 

Shields is 2-2 with a 4.99 ERA vs the Sox over the last 3 years.

 

Davis on the other hand is 3-1 with a 1.84.

 

So I partially agree with this statement.

 

KC gave up 2 top 30 prospects, and the #10 LH SP in the minors....

 

How this is viewed as "one of the worst trades in baseball" is kinda crazy though, Shields has been a damn good pitcher the last 2 years

Edited December 10, 201213 yr by 2nd_city_saint787

If that gets them to .500, is that even close to being worth it? Your team isn't going very far when James Shields is by far your best starting pitcher.

 

Doesn't matter, their fans deserve to have a team that doesn't continually suck garbage all year long. This team could actually win 80+ games, something they haven't done in a decade. They no longer have to hope their prospects pan out and save them, because for the past decade, they haven't. If they add a couple more pieces, they could be the #2 dog in this division.

Doesn't matter, their fans deserve to have a team that doesn't continually suck garbage all year long. This team could actually win 80+ games, something they haven't done in a decade. They no longer have to hope their prospects pan out and save them, because for the past decade, they haven't. If they add a couple more pieces, they could be the #2 dog in this division.

I still highly doubt that. But whatever, lets say for a second that this does make them a .500 team and 2nd in the division, that gets them where exactly?

 

If you're going to give up what they gave up, the big piece you get back in return better be a whole hell of a lot better than James Shields.

Edited December 10, 201213 yr by Rowand44

Doesn't matter, their fans deserve to have a team that doesn't continually suck garbage all year long. This team could actually win 80+ games, something they haven't done in a decade. They no longer have to hope their prospects pan out and save them, because for the past decade, they haven't. If they add a couple more pieces, they could be the #2 dog in this division.

 

This entire thought process is wrong. Just because their fans have suffered long enough doesn't mean they should get dealt mediocrity. The goal in baseball is to win championships, not make your fans feel slightly better by going above .500.

 

James Shields does not make the Royals a championship caliber team. With what they gave up, they should have gotten back David Price. Not James Shields.

 

Dayton Moore has said for years to "believe in the process" of developing young talent. They did fine with that when Hosmer and Moustakas panned out (sort of). But now they totally screwed all those Royals fans who waited and "believed" in Dayton Moore's process. You don't win championships by dealing your best pitching prospect AND one of the best prospects in baseball for a 5 win pitcher that might not even come back after 2014 and a borderline #5 starter. That's ridiculous and stupid. This is a slap in the face to all Royals fans who give a s*** and know anything about baseball.

Edited December 10, 201213 yr by chw42

I still highly doubt that. But whatever, lets say for a second that this does make them a .500 team and 2nd in the division, that gets them where exactly?

 

If you're going to give up what they gave up, the big piece you get back in return better be a whole hell of a lot better than James Shields.

 

I'm not arguing they won this trade, I'm just saying it's got to be nice for Royals fans to finally see them making an effort to get better immediately, rather than relying on future prospects to pan out. They've been doing that for a decade now. If I was a Royals fan I would be upset thinking about what Myers may turn in to, but happy to know my team may actually not suck next year. They are finally trying something different.