Free agent shortstop Rafael Furcal has agreed in principle to a three-year, $39 million contract with the Dodgers, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark has confirmed. A few days ago, Furcal was still trying to decide between the Cubs and Braves, and appeared to be leaning toward taking a five-year offer from the Cubs for close to $50 million. However, the Dodgers made a late rush into the bidding, and Furcal and agent Paul Kinzer flew to Los Angeles on Thursday to meet with owner Frank McCourt, GM Ned Colletti and a Dodgers delegation that included Manny Mota, whom Kinzer described as "a father figure" to Furcal and many other Dominican players. "Raffy was torn between the Braves and Cubs, and he was close to a decision," Kinzer told Stark. "Then, all of a sudden, the Dodgers got into this and asked us to fly out there and check them out. Let me tell you. Frank McCourt was really impressive. Raffy really liked what he had to say. They want to turn their franchise around, and Frank McCourt has a real passion for the game. Raffy was really impressed." Turning down a longer deal wasn't as difficult as many people would think, Kinzer said, because Furcal is only 28, so he'd been requesting the ability to opt out of a longer deal after the third year, anyway. Now he can be a free agent again at age 31 -- an opportunity that is "really intriguing to him," Kinzer said. Furcal, the 2000 NL Rookie of the Year, is expected to take a physical and finalize the contract Monday or Tuesday. Furcal, who has played six major-league seasons for the Atlanta Braves, has a .284 career batting average. Last season, he batted .284 with 31 doubles, 11 triples, 12 home runs and 46 stolen bases. He drove in 58 runs and posted a .981 fielding average with 15 errors in 152 games. The deal with the Dodgers, worth an average of $13 million per season, is significantly more than the $40-million, four-year deal Edgar Renteria signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent last year. Dodgers Gold Glove-winning shortstop Cesar Izturis is recovering from Tommy John surgery and is not expected to play until July. In that scenario, according to The Times, Furcal's signing would move Izturis to second base and Jeff Kent would play first base. Izturis will be in the second year of a three-year, $10-million contract and Kent has one year left on his two-year, $17-million deal. Dodger general manager Ned Colletti said he would speak to Izturis and Kent about changing positions before signing Furcal.Colletti was hired as the Dodgers' GM on Nov. 16, and said his first priority was to hire a manager. The team has been without one since parting ways with Jim Tracy on Oct. 3. Colletti was hired to succeed Paul DePodesta, who was fired Oct. 29 when close to the end of his managerial search.Colletti has said his top roster focus was in the outfield. But he made clear his interest in Furcal, a slick fielder as well as an offensive threat and standout leadoff hitter.Hampered by numerous injuries, the Dodgers had a 71-91 record last season -- their second-worst since moving from Brooklyn in 1958.A year earlier, they went 93-69 in winning their first NL West championship in nine years. They lost the Division Series to NL champion St. Louis 3-1, but won their first postseason game in 16 years.The Dodgers are hopeful that Eric Gagne, baseball's best closer from 2002-04, and outfielder J.D. Drew will be ready to go in spring training.Gagne underwent season-ending surgery on his pitching elbow in June. Drew, who signed a $55 million, five-year contract last winter, didn't play after breaking a wrist when he was hit by a pitch July 3.The status of outfielder Milton Bradley remains uncertain. Bradley sustained a season-ending knee injury Aug. 23, a month after hurting a finger. He missed 87 games and had off-the-field problems, most notably a well-publicized feud with Kent.Bradley is eligible for salary arbitration. The Dodgers must decide by Dec. 20 whether to offer a contract.http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2246996
Ah, that sucks. Would be pretty nice to see him in a Red Sox uniform playing 2nd. Oh well, he's overpaid.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ven0m @ Dec 4 2005, 12:20 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'>Wow. Talk about overpaid. </div> Billy Wagner=Overpaid
The Dodgers are now paying their leadoff hitter 13 million a year. Cmon. Furcal isnt a top 5 shortstop in baseball, he isnt a top 5 leadoff hitter in baseball, the guy is purely a mediocre player who steals alot of bases.What your mets hate is too blind to realize is we only paid market value for Wagner. When a mediocre closer like B.J. Ryan signs a 5 year/47 million deal that inflates the market for every single other player in it which is why it seems overpaid, but we only offered him market value. The Mets are paying a top 5 closer in baseball 10 million for 4 years. The only reason he got the 4th year guaranteed was because of B.J. Ryan dictating the market. We just paid what the market dictated (Thank You Very Much B.J. Ryan ). Wagner's deal is much more worth the money he is being paid then Furcal's.
