Ramirez 99

LOS ANGELES -- Rafael Furcal is staying with the Los Angeles Dodgers, reaching a preliminary agreement on a $33 million, three-year contract.

Furcal gets $7.5 million next season, $9.5 million in 2010 and $13 million in 2011. The deal includes a $13 million team option for 2012 with a $3 million buyout.

2009: $7.5M
2010: $9.5M
2011: $13M
2012: $13M option ($3M buyout)

If DeJesus is indeed the real deal, this signing need not impact him at all.

Sounds vestings to me...

The average value of the contract is probably looked at more than anything, probably discounted to present value by each side (players and owners).

Anyway, baseball contracts almost always increase in value in each subsequent year, even if it's expected that the player himself will not. It does seem like most deals are not quite as lopsided toward the back end as Furcal's, though.

If we spread this out evenly it would cost us $3.5M extra this year but save us $2M in 2011. I don't know. Maybe it does make some sense.

An article I read earlier in the week said that Kinzer works with Art Telehm and Telehm was in LA and he was the person who was talking to the Dodgers...I can not confirm any of this but it might explain why there was a lag in Furcal confirming and why Kinzer was bactracking on Tuesday-Telehm was convincing the Dodgers and at the same time letting them know how close they were to losing him. It will be might interesting to hear the Dodgers time line if we ever see it.

Sorry, but that is false. If McCourt is so hard up for cash that $2-3 million for 2009's payroll is the difference, then he would just as easily not sign Furcal. The Dodgers have huge chunks of payroll coming off their books next year. It is completely reasonable to structure this contract from an operating net income perspective as opposed to signs that this is a liquidity concern.

Except for not bidding against the Yankees for CC, there are really no signs that the McCourts have serious liquidity issues. Again, if it was such a big problem, the Dodgers could have just not signed him.

But Andruw Jones can be the consolation prize!

I feel much better if this is true. I am generally a terribly conservative old fogey when it comes to giving guaranteed contracts, especially to non organization products, but the apparent austerity this year had me scared. If Raffi's healthy I see play-offs and with Manny who knows.

He also has a LONG summary of Wren's interview today.

To me, the contract just reeks.

There is a risk anytime you give a guaranteed contract, look at some of the deals that were made to young players to lock them up past their arbitration years.

Do you think the Padres now wish they might have given Jake Peavy a shorter deal for more cash and not include the no-trade clause for the hometown discount?

I assume next step is to put another vet into the rotation...RJ would be ideal...I don't mind Pettite though.

A wildcard here is Oliver Perez; but being a type A doesn't really appeal to me.

Pettite
Johnson
Garland
Sheets
Perez

....I would love Pedro back though!

and that probably violates rule 13.

I don't believe that is set in stone. Blake's salary isn't large enough to where he becomes a utility player for us if his production falls off.

I was thinking about Pedro, too. I haven't heard anything about him this off-season.

http://tinyurl.com/4fzmlf

Also, I think if Manny goes to NYY, we don't get first round picks either. And I don't see Manny anywhere but NYY, LAA or LAD.

Exactly, I don't see how this is any less risky a deal than Jones or Schmidt.

But I have nothing good to say about Pettitte. Part of it is just the NY media effect, but for me, Pettitte is the Jeter of pitchers. Good, but not nearly as good as his reputation, to the point that I prefer to think of him as awful, just to overcompensate in the other direction.

I think I need help.

Which is better?

Choice A - A Major League source confirmed Tuesday morning that Furcal and the Braves have tentatively agreed to the terms of a three-year contract that includes a vesting option for the 2012 season. From official Braves MLB site.

Choice B - A baseball official confirmed Wednesday that Furcal has reached agreement with the Dodgers on a three-year contract with a vesting option for a fourth year. It is believed the deal is pending the passing of a physical exam. The Associated Press is reporting the deal is for $33 million.

Speaking of pitching, does anyone have an idea why the secondary pitching market hasn't shaped up since Sabathia & Burnett were reeled in by the Yanks?

Did Furcal actually agree to terms? Did they ask for the offer sheet? Were Tellem and Kinzer on the same page? Did the Braves really believe there was a deal? Did Furcal agree to a physical on Wednesday?

My point is these are just some of the questions that have emerged through this saga and they weren't really addressed by the LA beat reporters.

Just because a player hasn't signed a contract doesn't mean the negotiations aren't newsworthy.