Braves: Furcal Contract expected

12/16/08 5:24 AM EST
MLB.Com

Rafael Furcal

The Braves appear to be on the cusp of bringing back shortstop Rafael Furcal, one of the most productive players in the team's recent history, according to a report by Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.

A Major League source told Fox Sports that Furcal has decided to return to his first franchise, with a contract agreement expected to be announced Tuesday, conditional on Furcal passing a physical. The deal is believed to be for three years with a vesting option for a fourth.

Furcal's agent, Paul Kinzer, told FOXSports.com on Monday night before the report broke, "[The Braves] are in deep. He's seriously considering it."
The Oakland A's have been the front-runner to acquire the shortstop's services, offering what is believed to be the only four-year deal that Furcal received. However, Furcal is said to prefer returning to either one of the two franchises for which he's played: the Braves or the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Furcal played six seasons for the Braves, winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 2000 and making the All-Star team in 2003, when he finished third in the National League in runs scored with 130. He then signed a three-year, $39 million contract with the Dodgers. Furcal was limited by back issues in 2008, but did hit .357 with 16 RBIs in 36 games.

The Braves already have a potential All-Star caliber shortstop in Yunel Escobar. The strong-armed Furcal could conceivably move to second base, or the Braves could use Escobar as trade bait. Escobar had previously been mentioned in trade talks for San Diego ace Jake Peavy. The Padres recently broke off talks with the Cubs for Peavy, but didn't rule out revisiting talks with other teams.

Manny Ramirez
If not Mark Teixeira, why not Manny Ramirez?
It's a question that has come up frequently as the Angels continue to wrestle with the possibility that they will surrender Teixeira to an East Coast team, with the Red Sox, Orioles, Nationals and Yankees all in the hunt for the switch-hitting first baseman.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia, while attending the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, said he didn't understand why people assumed he couldn't get along with Ramirez, adding, "He'd be a fit on our club."

And on Monday with AM 830 KLAA, the Angels' flagship radio station, Scioscia expanded on that viewpoint.

"I don't know know how some of these things get started," Scioscia said. "Our staff has been together for 10 years here. Really, we've had maybe one well-documented thing with Jose Guillen, and that's it. I don't think we demand anything from our players that any other organization, any other manager, doesn't demand from their players."

Guillen was dismissed from the team over his demeanor late in the 2004 season after producing 27 homers and 104 RBIs in 148 games. He was dealt that winter to Montreal for Juan Rivera and Maicer Izturis.

"Manny Ramirez is a guy, as long as he's practicing the game hard, playing it hard and producing, and is understanding of the team concept -- which from everything I've heard from guys he's played with, he is -- he's a guy who works very, very hard at what he does," Scioscia said. "He'd be a fit on a lot of clubs, including our own.

"I don't think it's anything like that is going to keep Manny from being considered to play for our club. It's certainly length of contract, resources, things like that -- that would affect any other player."

With Teixeira drawing heightened interest -- and the Angels making an eight-year offer that was beyond their initial projections -- Ramirez has been pushed into the background.

Ramirez, who produced a sensational second half for the Dodgers, figures to cost about half as much as Teixeira in length of terms and dollars. Ramirez, at 36, is eight years older than Teixeira.

There was radio speculation by host Dan Patrick on Monday that a potential Teixeira deal with Boston could go as high as $200 million over eight years.

Scott Boras, representing both Teixeira and Ramirez, made a case that Teixeira is worthy of a 10-year deal while Ramirez warrants a six-year pact.

Asked if he'd be for it if things could be worked out with Ramirez, Scioscia said, "Absolutely. Talent like Manny's is real. He's a winner. Whether it happens or not remains to be seen. But we would not rule him out.

"We have discussions obviously on character and makeup. We would not rule Manny out. When he's motivated -- and he showed that in the last part of the season -- this guy is one of the best talents in the game."

The Angels have firsthand knowledge of what Ramirez can do on the big October stage. He helped knock them out in the American League Division Series in 2004 and '07 with his lethal bat.

In the six games of those two series sweeps, Ramirez was 8-for-21 (.381) with three homers and 11 RBIs.