It was reported this morning on FOXSports.com that free agent Rafael Furcal could be returning to Atlanta, with a contract expected to be signed today. Furcal supposedly had turned down a deal from Oakland, for $40 million over a 4 years period:
One rival executive said Monday night, “he will do whatever he can not to go to Oakland,” citing Furcal’s preference to be with one of his prior teams.
This deal is likely to be worth $30 million over 3 years. If the deal goes through, Furcal would probably be placed at either shortstop or second base, providing some speed that this team otherwise lacks.
Personally, I’d love to see him back here. He can run well, he’s got a cannon of an arm, and he can hit. As long as he doesn’t try to drive every pitch over the fence, like he did in his later tenure with the Braves in ‘05, he should be a good fit that will provide some confidence in this lineup. What remains to be seen is who will be displaced with this trade: Escobar or Johnson.
More on this as it develops.
Update #1: The deal went through with the terms listed above, pending a physical that might not occur today. In addition, there is an option for the 2012 season.
Update #2: Apparently the deal hasn’t officially gone through yet. They’ve reached a ‘tentative’ deal, but Furcal’s agent, Paul Kinzer, may be waiting to see if the Dodgers can come up with a better offer.
Update #3: Furcal signed with the Dodgers. I’ll have my thoughts on this up later.