Peter Bourjos | Larry Brown Sports

Angels reportedly trade Peter Bourjos to Cardinals for David Freese

November 22, 2013 By Steve DelVecchio 2 Comments

The Los Angels Angels have reportedly agreed to trade outfielder Peter Bourjos to the St. Louis Cardinals in a deal that involves third baseman David Freese, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.

The 26-year-old Bourjos was one of the better center fielders in the league last year, despite appearing in only 55 games. The Angels will now likely use Mike Trout, also one of the games best gloves, in center field full time. It appears unlikely that the Cardinals will bring back Carlos Beltran, who is a free agent and has been drawing interest from teams with deep pockets like the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. Bourjos gives them outfield depth.

Freese had a down year with St. Louis last season, but he hit .293 with 20 home runs and 70 RBI in 2012. He also established himself as one of the greatest clutch hitters in baseball during his magical World Series MVP run in 2011.

Prospects are also reportedly involved in the Freese-Bourjos deal.

Earlier this month, a report indicated that the Yankees could be interested in trading for Freese as an insurance policy with Alex Rodriguez’s status unknown. The Bourjos-Freese trade is the second significant MLB trade of the week, with the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers having swapped Prince Fielder and Ian Kinsler on Wednesday.

Filed Under: Baseball Tagged With: David Freese, Peter Bourjos

Peter Bourjos robs JJ Hardy of home run with awesome catch (Video)

June 12, 2013 By Steve DelVecchio Leave a Comment

Baltimore Orioles shortstop JJ Hardy cannot catch a break when his team hosts the Los Angeles Angels. No matter who is playing center field for LA, Hardy can’t seem to put enough power behind the ball to get it over the fence. When you face outfielders with the defensive ability of Peter Bourjos and Mike Trout, that can happen.

During the first inning of his team’s 3-2 win over the Angels on Tuesday, Hardy smoked a ball to center field that looked like it had enough to leave the yard. Instead, Bourjos timed his jump perfectly and reached completely over the fence to pull the ball back in.

The play was amazing, but the situation was even more mind-boggling. Almost exactly a year ago, on June 28, Trout was playing center field in Baltimore when he took a home run away from Hardy. To make the coincidence even more incredible, that play also took place in the bottom of the first inning.

Moral of the story: hit the ball to right field. Josh Hamilton is a decent fielder, but Hardy clearly doesn’t have a chance against Bourjos or Trout.

Filed Under: Baseball Tagged With: Amazing plays, JJ Hardy, Peter Bourjos

Ozzie Guillen Has Never Seen a White Man Run as Fast as Peter Bourjos

August 25, 2011 By Steve DelVecchio Leave a Comment

One skill Ozzie Guillen has never seemed to master is the act of giving a compliment. One of the most misunderstood personalities in baseball, Guillen frequently gets himself into hot water with his mouth — whether intentionally or not. It’s all good. We know Ozzie means well.

After the Angels swept the White Sox in a short, two-game series this week, Guillen gave L.A. center fielder Peter Bourjos a similar compliment to the one he gave Dustin Pedroia a few years ago during a series with the Red Sox. By that I mean it wasn’t much of a compliment at all, but it’s the thought that counts.

“Oh my god, he can be my favorite player,” Guillen told ESPNChicago.com via Hardball Talk. “I’ve never seen a white man that can run that fast. It is really impressive. That man might be the fastest person in baseball right now.”

Bourjos has only stolen 17 bases this season, but his speed has made him one of the best defensive center fielders in the game. Ozzie’s right: he’s even fast for a white guy. As I’m sure Bourjos has learned from his short time in the big leagues, any compliment from Ozzie Guillen is a good one.

Filed Under: Baseball Tagged With: Ozzie Guillen, Peter Bourjos