With all of the hype surrounding Manny Ramirez, CC Sabathia, and even guys like A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe, some big names get lost in the off-season free agency hype. One guy that's kind of disappeared so far this winter is Rafael Furcal. Everyone points to Manny Ramirez as the catalyst for the Dodgers' run to the NLCS, but Furcal's return late in the season had just as much to do with it as Ramirez did.
As things stand right now, it looks like Furcal may not have to move all that far to get to his new home in 2009. Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the A's and Giants are leading early bidding for the shortstop. Both teams have seen and are satisfied with his medical records. The Dodgers are still interested, but Ned Colletti amusingly told Rosenthal, "I don't know if we're going to be in or out."
The sticking point all around right now seems to be that Furcal wants four years, whie the Dodgers are slow to give more than three. I'd imagine the Billy Beane and the A's would be, too, though he'd certainly be a nice addition to an Oakland team that's looking to contend next year. On the other hand, Brian Sabean probably wouldn't think twice about giving Furcal that fourth year. Do the Giants need him? Probably not, but hey, that never stopped Sabean in the past.
Rafael Furcal May Stay on the West Coast, Though Not in Los Angeles originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 22 Nov 2008 19:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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