From Ken Rosenthal we get Braves-related trade updates on Carlos Beltran and others, including this nugget about the Astros' Michael Bourn:

The Astros-Braves possibilities would start with Astros right fielder Hunter Pence, a player in whom the Braves long have had interest. The Braves also like center fielder Michael Bourn, but more as a fallback plan if their pursuits of Beltran and others fail, according to one major league source.

Here's to hoping we go with the fallback plan! I was initially hesitant on Bourn as a trade option for the Braves, but my thinking has come around for a couple of reasons. The most significant reason is that the best fit for Atlanta in a trade would be a center fielder and leadoff man, and Bourn seems like the only available player who fits that mold. The Braves' willingness to accept Jordan Schafer as that center fielder leadoff man despite his on-base shortcomings says to me that the team is desperate for someone to fill that role, even if they are not quite there yet in terms of production.

Bourn is everything Jordan Schafer is, with the added bonus of more production. If the psyche of the Braves players requires that they have a dynamic base-stealing threat in the leadoff position (something I've written about before), then the team should acquire one who could truly be a catalyst.

Maybe all this talk is about nothing since Rosenthal ends his Atlanta-Bourn rumor thusly:

The source downplayed any chance of a deal, calling it, "remote."

Probably because the Astros are currently asking for way too much in return. The Braves are also fixated on acquiring a right-handed hitter, and not another lefty like Bourn.