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Source: Furcal Coming Back To Braves
Written by Colin on December 16, 2008 – 9:39 amFox Sports reports that Rafael Furcal is close to signing with the Braves and that a contract agreement will be announced today. The contract is believed to be for three years with a vesting option for a fourth. Assuming this report is true (you all remember how Furcal played for Atlanta – the only thing you need know is he had back issues in 2008 but was quite productive after he returned), what are we supposed to think?
Option 1
We have the most awesome double-play combo in the history of baseball. Watching Furcal and Yunel up the middle will be wicked-sick. Imagine the range and speed you’ll see displayed this season. That’d be ridiculous-awesome. Don’t know where Kelly Johnson would go, though.
Option 2
Yunel Escobar is now trade bait. He was the cornerstone of the Jake Peavy discussions and could potentially be used if the Braves made another offer to the Padres for Peavy. Furcal would play up the middle with Kelly Johnson, and maybe we’d see a pitcher come to Atlanta via trade. Escobar has quite a future in front of him, and many teams would love to see him on their roster.
Either way, I’m not sure how I feel about Furcal signing. If we’d already traded Escobar for someone else, I’d feel a lot better, but it feels like we’re signing Furcal with nowhere to put him. I’m sure Frank Wren and his genius staff have a plan, so I can trust them on this, but I want to know what they’re going to do to make our pitching staff not suck. This sure doesn’t fill the role of the power bat we need either.
What do you think? What are your thoughts?
Tags: furcal to braves, Rafael Furcal, Trade bait, Yunel Escobar
Posted in General, Speculation | 12 Comments »
By Jonathan on Dec 16, 2008 | Reply
If Wren was willing to trade middle infielders before having a replacement, I guess this gives him all the more reason to do so now. I like Furcal and he was my first choice for replacing Yunel had the Peavy trade been successful. I'd be okay with seeing Yunel and Furcal take up the middle infield, but it seems like we may be holding one too many infielders on the roster at that point.
By Justin on Dec 16, 2008 | Reply
Maybe Wren will end up trading Kelly Johnson, either for Ankiel or hermida or someone else for the power bat that we so desperately need.
By Jonathan on Dec 16, 2008 | Reply
My best guess, just based on Wren's big focus so far would be that a move for a pitcher would be much more eminent. Maybe he even already has a deal in the works, who knows. Maybe go after Peavy again (though Wren said he wouldn't initiate that) or someone like Zack Greinke. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens at this point. Either way, I'm guessing Yunel or Kelly Johnson is on the way out.
By Colin Ake on Dec 16, 2008 | Reply
The Padres have said that they won't trade Peavy recently, and I don't know if the Braves want to deal with the Padres' front office. I don't know who else we'd go after, but that's why I'm a blogger and not a GM.
By Jonathan on Dec 16, 2008 | Reply
Update from Braves.com:
"Where Furcal would be positioned defensively remains to be seen. But the Braves have no intention to trade either Johnson or Escobar. Instead, they are planning to move Johnson back to left field, a position he played before moving to second base before the start of the 2007 season."
By jereme on Dec 16, 2008 | Reply
I find it hard to beleive that they would move johnson back to the outfield and furcal at second base considering both said that they wouldn't want to move there. Here is what I think is going to happen or would happen if I was in the Wrens Position. First offer Escobar, Jo Jo, Locke and Gorkys to the Padres for a trade to get Peavy and maybe a minor other player. THen since we know st louis needs middle infield help offer kelly johnson for ludwick or ankeil.
Line up would look like this.
Blanco peavy (if we can pull it off)
furcal ss jurrgens
chipper campillo
ankiel/ludwick vasquez
mccan smoltz (one more year)
kotchman
prado
francour
By josh on Dec 16, 2008 | Reply
Well go use French boy as trade bait for a pitcher and sign Abreu to right fireld. That would have us Furcal, Escobar, Jones, Abreu, Mccain, Diaz, Ankiel, Kotchman or something to that extent. Who knows whats going to happen. Just a thought. Maybe Prado and some farm guys for to get Ankiel.
By Colin Ake on Dec 16, 2008 | Reply
Francoeur had such a bad year that I'm not sure many teams would give us much for him. That said, the Braves have stated they are not trading Frenchy this off-season. All that to say – if we can't sign top of the line pitching – why spend tons of money for a bat that may not make a huge difference?
I anticipate our opening day lineup will be something like this:
Furcal, Escobar, Jones, McCann, Johnson, Francoeur, Kotchman, Anderson/Blanco – followed of course by whoever pitches opening day for us.
We'll see how it ends up happening.
By Cameron on Dec 16, 2008 | Reply
I think, if EITHER is traded, Kelly would be on the move. He could be a plus LF w/ a cieling of 20HR for us, or a super-plus 2B for another team (furcal @ 2nd would be great), however, i dont se a match with an OF, maybe corey hart, but itd take A LOT more than KJ to get him
By Robert Quigley on Dec 17, 2008 | Reply
Kelly Johnson has already said that he would play platoon LF with Matt Diaz. He has spent his whole career playing in a platoon positions, and is willing to continue to do so. The problem w/ this is, ATL already has five major-league caliber outfielders who have either been competing, or are ready to compete full time at a professional level. Provided that Jeff Francoeur doesn't get over-anxious at the plate, and get sen't back down- he's locked in. Center field is plattoned between Anderson, and Blanco. Left field is platooned between Diaz and B. jones. Unless you put Diaz at first base full-time, you have a dilema that only a trade can solve. Plus, the Braves want to make one more trade for a pitcher before the market for them dwindles down faster than the current US economy. So it wouldn't suprise me to see Kelly Johnson used as trade bait, though Escobar will be more visually appealing to any consumer.
By Josh on Dec 17, 2008 | Reply
So we do or we dont have Furcal? I just read he is now thinking about returning to the dodgers. WTF???????????????????????????????????????????/
By Jonathan on Dec 18, 2008 | Reply
It appears that things are very up in the air right now. Wren was under the impression that he had a verbal agreement that Furcal would be heading to Atlanta but now apparently the Dodgers have made a counter-offer. Some parties say that it's he will now return to the Dodgers and won't accept the Braves offer. Other sources still say he is interested in returning to Atlanta. We'll have to wait and see I guess. Though with how the offseason is going so far, I wouldn't be surprised to see him back in Dodger Blue.