Bourn, 28, was hitting .303/.363/.403 with 64 runs scored, 26 doubles, seven triples and a league-leading 39 stolen bases in 46 attempts. A former All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner, Bourn is an elite center fielder whose ability to get to balls in the gaps and behind him is rare among outfielders. Even the defensive metrics show he is one of the league's top two defensive center fielders. Plus, his success rate on stealing bases throughout his career is an impressive 83 percent.
Bourn changes the entire dimension of the Braves' lineup. Finally, the Braves have a leadoff hitter who can disrupt a pitching staff on the bases, particularly in close games in the late innings. Bourn's acquisition will move Martin Prado to the two-hole where he belongs and give the Braves much-improved on-base percentages in the top two spots. Having Bourn and Prado together will create more fastballs for the middle of their lineup, consisting of Brian McCann (when he's back from the DL), Chipper Jones, Dan Uggla, Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward. The only downside is that the Braves' lineup becomes too left-handed. The deal, however, will be significant come playoff time because speed at the top of the order can make a huge difference in a game's outcome when the Braves are facing the league's best pitchers in 2-1 or 3-2 battles.
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Jim Bowden
Bowden, who served as the senior vice president and GM for the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals, is an analyst for ESPN.com. In 1992, Bowden became the youngest GM in MLB history when the Reds hired him at age 31. The Reds finished in first place twice during his 10 years as GM, and he was named MLB Executive of the Year by Baseball America in 1999. After working for ESPN in 2004, Bowden became the first GM of the Washington Nationals when the franchise relocated from Montreal to Washington, D.C., in 2005, working in that role until the 2009 season. Bowden co-hosts the "Inside Pitch" radio show on Sirius XM satellite radio. Follow on Twitter: @JimBowdenESPNxm.
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