Braves Free Agency

[General]

Money. He wants money though. I can't blame him if he doesn't come back to Atlanta, but I would love him if he did.

[Kingdom]

Furcal isn't expected to make a decision in the next three days. The dodgers have entered the mix now.

[General]

ESPN's Jayson Stark said he's not as confident that Rafael Furcal will join the Cubs as he was two days ago.
Talks are continuing, and it's possible no deal will be reached before the end of the weekend, as was previously expected. The Arlington Heights Daily Herald is reporting that the Cubs have offered Furcal $50 million over five years. The Dodgers also appear likely to beat the Braves' four-year offer. Agent Paul Kinzer met with the Braves yesterday and will continue to do so. "I'm based out of Atlanta. I'd love to keep him here," Kinzer said. "Ultimately it's going to be his decision. There has not been a decision made.

[General]

The Dodgers have offered Rafael Furcal a three-year contract worth close to $40 million, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told the Los Angeles Times.
And Paul DePodesta's contracts were crazy? Furcal has never even had an 800 OPS, and his best OBP the last five years is .352. He's had one year with more than 103 runs scored. If this is for real, Furcal could take it and still get another big contract at age 31. It's currently believed the Cubs are at $50 million for five years and the Braves have a four-year, $36 million offer on the table. Furcal's agent, Paul Kinzer, said Friday that his client won't make a decision "for a couple of more days."

[rockin500]

Dave Kaplan on WGN Radio last night said its expected the Cubs are going to go up to 52 or 53 million over 5 years.

[General]

I have a weird feeling Nomar will be a Brave next year, and so will be Trevor Hoffman.

[General]

Rafael Furcal has agreed in principle to a three-year, $40 million contract with the Dodgers, according to the Los Angeles Times.
He's expected to undergo a physical tomorrow and the deal could be announced on Monday. It's a great contract for Furcal, who will likely be able to land another big deal in three years at age 31.

[General]

The Braves are among the six teams showing interest in Todd Jones, but unlike some of the others, they're only offering a one-year deal.
It's believed that Jones would like to play for the Braves, though it might be tough for him to leave a significantly better offer on the table. The Tigers, Orioles, Reds, Cardinals and Indians are the others in the running.

[General]

The Indians and Trevor Hoffman could be nearing an agreement on a three-year deal worth $21 million-$24 million, according to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.
Hoffman is 38 and he still has a damaged shoulder, but if three years is the only thing that's going to lure him away from San Diego, that's what GM Mark Shapiro thinks he needs to do. Hoffman is certainly a far better bet for 2006 than any of the other relievers still on the market

[General]

Braves offered arby to Jordan and Perez, but declined it to Franco and Holladsworth. Why not offer it to Franco?

[HafDawg2003]

By Franco, you no doubt mean John, the solution to all Braves closer problems! LOL

[General]

Braves GM John Schuerholz said he'll keep looking for a leadoff hitter, but if he doesn't find one, Marcus Giles will get the job.
Maybe there's a potential leadoff-hitting left fielder for the Braves out there, such as Kenny Lofton, but the club would probably be better off sticking with Ryan Langerhans and Kelly Johnson. Unfortunately, that's bad news for Giles' fantasy value, especially in 4x4 leagues. He'll struggle to drive in runs while batting leadoff.
Free agent Todd Pratt is expected to sign with the Braves after rejecting an offer from the Royals.
He'll back up Brian McCann

Woo, I've always liked Todd Pratt.

[love_that_reefer]

I too like Pratt. I think Giles could handle it.

[General]

Lets sign Frank Thomas.

[General]

The Yankees are interested in free agent Rudy Seanez, but they believe he'd prefer to head back to Atlanta.
Seanez could be a candidate to close for the Braves after such an outstanding year in San Diego. Still, he's too injury prone to be anyone's top choice in that role.