Deadline passes, Bourjos still an Angel

ARLINGTON -- Shortly after acquiring Zack Greinke from the Brewers for three prospects on Friday, Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto found Peter Bourjos near the batting cage, patted him on the back and said, "See, I told you I wasn't going to trade you."

The conversation didn't last much longer than that. It was Bourjos' turn to hit.

"I just said, 'I'm happy here,' " Bourjos recalled, "'and hopefully this is going to be where I play my whole career.'"

For now, he'll settle for the next two months.

Bourjos has been floated around in rumors for most of his short Major League career. But this year, because Mike Trout had assumed the everyday role in center field and Bourjos has been confined to the bench, it was perhaps more prominent than ever. And with the Angels pursuing a starting pitcher, and sporting a pretty barren farm system, the belief was that Dipoto would have to include Bourjos in a deal to acquire a frontline guy.

But the Angels were able to get Greinke by giving up shortstop Jean Segura and two Double-A starters, John Hellweg and Ariel Pena. At that point, Bourjos figured he was safe.

But at 3 p.m. CT here on Tuesday, when MLB Network monitors showed the Trade Deadline countdown at "0," several of Bourjos' teammates gave him a mock standing ovation anyway.

Relief?

"I'll probably still sleep the same," Bourjos said. "I think just during the day, my phone won't be blowing up like it usually is, with my buddies texting me, 'What's going on?' "