Furcal agrees w/Dodgers - 3yr/$33M

[crewcrazy]

Per SportsCenter, Furcal is heading back to Atlanta. Wasn't the 3/30 mark the same Oakland offered? I guess he just likes it there better. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

It'd be interesting if this starts up Peavy/Braves talks again, if it makes Yunel Escobar expendable.

 

Edit: Here's the link from ESPN.com: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3772806

 

It looks like it's not completely finalized, though, so this could be moved to the Rumors forum. ESPN and Fox Sports are reporting it as done, even if the agent is saying nothing's final. That kind of seems to be a trend so far this offseason..."Player signs...wait, no he didn't...player agrees to a deal...agent denies...signed two weeks later."

[patrickgpe]

i thought furcal was offered 4 and 40 from the a's but it was his least favorite of the 3.

[GAME05]

Escobar is still going to play SS. They have Furcal tabbed for 2b.

[jwill535]

They are saying now that he is still negotiating with them and that the Dodgers are pushing hard to keep him.

[TooLiveBrew]

More great work from the folks at ESPN & Fox Sports

[JJHardy7]

More great work from the folks at ESPN & Fox Sports

 

I don't know if it's really their fault. To me, this just seems like somebody trying to drive up the value in the Furcal camp and the same in other situations. They usually don't run stories without a 'reliable' source. I think agents get more involved in this type of crap than anything else...especially in the current market.

[Mr Southpaw]

Time to jump on the Kelly Johnson Bandwagon. From what I hear, they want to put KJ in left field. Trade them Hart for KJ and figure out right field later. If it takes more than Hart add a A level prospect pitcher. Brewer fans, after watching KJ for the last three years ....you will be very happy with Kelly.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

It sounds like Furcal is a Dodger now.

[jjfanec]

Time to jump on the Kelly Johnson Bandwagon. From what I hear, they want to put KJ in left field. Trade them Hart for KJ and figure out right field later. If it takes more than Hart add a A level prospect pitcher. Brewer fans, after watching KJ for the last three years ....you will be very happy with Kelly.

I do not think you would have to add anything with Hart, in fact I think we should get something back in return. I like the idea of adding Johnson but who is playing LF for us next year if we trade Hart.

[sbrylski]

Time to jump on the Kelly Johnson Bandwagon. From what I hear, they want to put KJ in left field. Trade them Hart for KJ and figure out right field later. If it takes more than Hart add a A level prospect pitcher. Brewer fans, after watching KJ for the last three years ....you will be very happy with Kelly.

I do not think you would have to add anything with Hart, in fact I think we should get something back in return. I like the idea of adding Johnson but who is playing LF for us next year if we trade Hart.

 

The opportunity has come and past: LINK

The Braves were actively trying to trade second baseman Kelly Johnson for an outfielder even before they made a bid for Rafael Furcal. Earlier this offseason, they discussed sending Johnson to the Cardinals for outfielder Ryan Ludwick. More recently, they dangled Johnson for Corey Hart, but the Brewers had no interest ...

You'd think Cameron for Johnson would be something both sides should have talked about though.

[pretendastronaut]

Two days after Furcal, then a free agent, spurned an offer from the Braves to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers, team president John Schuerholz called the actions of Furcal's agents, Paul Kinzer and Arn Tellem, "despicable" and "disgusting" and said the franchise would never deal with the firm again, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Braves believed they had reached a three-year deal, with an option for a fourth year, with Furcal, and at Kinzer's request sent a term sheet for Furcal to sign on Monday.

But Furcal, who had been advised to sleep on the offer rather than accept it right away, did not sign the term sheet. Tuesday, Kinzer took it to the Dodgers and negotiated a three-year deal for Furcal to return to L.A., where he had spent the past three seasons. According to Tellem, one of the keys to the signing was that the Braves wanted Furcal to move from shortstop to second base.

On Thursday, Tellem, the lead agent for the Wasserman group, defended his and Kinzer's actions in a statement, noting that the Braves and Furcal did not have a signed deal and that the team knew Furcal was going to think it over.

Tellem said that while he understood the team's frustration over Furcal getting away, he and Kinzer "conducted ourselves with integrity and complied with all the rules of major league baseball throughout this process."

Full Story

[TooLiveBrew]

"conducted ourselves with integrity and complied with all the rules of major league baseball throughout this process."

 

Well it sounds like the second part of that statement is true. Seems kind of foolish for Schuerholz to make the statement he did, though. Sure, you 'out' Tellem & Kinzer for being jerkfaces, but they're agents. Not the first time & not the last time an agent will scam (or whatever they did) his/her way to a better deal. Schuerholz just comes off bitter, and who knows what player he may want to sign/trade for down the road that might make him go against his vow here. I guess it does play to the fan base, so maybe that's the only reason he spoke out.