Braves.Today.Com

UPDATED: 9:47 p.m. EST

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — Yeah, so much for the Atlanta Braves standing pat.

Or at least the way things appeared for most of today.

Frustrated at their inability to make a splash at the Winter Meetings last week, the Braves have turned to their past in an effort to upgrade their future. Atlanta is on the verge of bringing home free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal, who played with the Braves from 2000-2005 and has spent the past three seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

However, published reports late this afternoon stated the Dodgers would have one last chance to up their offer to Furcal, an offer that is unlikely to include a guaranteed third year. Late in the day, ESPN.com reported the Braves and Dodgers were both in Furcal’s sights, and as of 7 p.m. EST the Dodgers’ negotiations had heated up.

But unless the Dodgers decided to guarantee that third year, I’m saying with great certainty the Braves get this thing done. The Atlanta offer guarantees three years at an estimated $30 million (with a vesting option for the fourth year). It will be finalized when Furcal takes a physical, which is expected to happen in the next few days.

Even though he missed most of last season with back problems, Furcal – who returned for four games in September and played in the postseason – would give the Braves a pure leadoff hitter and a very good defensive player. Now, the question is will Furcal replace Kelly Johnson at second base or Yunel Escobar at short.

Because Furcal signing with the Braves is just the first part of a bigger move, folks, or one would believe. Whoever he replaces figures to be heading somewhere for pitching. Perhaps Escobar to San Diego for the long-awaited and since-broken-off deal for Jake Peavy? Perhaps Johnson to Kansas City as the centerpiece for Zack Greinke?

It’s all speculation at this point, but this much is clear: the Braves could not afford to go into 2009 with the roster the way it stood last night, and they know it.

Furcal broke in with the Braves in 2000, a season during which I covered quite a few games for a suburban Atlanta newspaper. He gave the Braves a big boost with his speed and his cannon arm – an arm that isn’t as good as Escobar’s, in my opinion, but it very strong nonetheless – winning rookie of the year after hitting .295 with 134 hits and 40 stolen bases.

He became an All-Star in 2003, a season in which he hit .292 with 35 doubles, 10 triples, 15 homers, 61 RBIs and 25 stolen bases. Playing for a team that never has relied much on the stolen base, Furcal gave the Braves that added dimension of a threat on the basepaths, stealing 22-plus bases in each of his six seasons as a Brave, including a career-high 46 in 2005.

He filed for free agency after the 2005 season, signing with the Dodgers. A .300 season with 15 homers and 37 steals followed in 2006, and Furcal hit .270 with 25 steals in 138 games in 2007. Back problems sidelined him for four months in 2008 as Furcal played just 36 games. But he hit .357 with five homers, 12 doubles and 16 RBIs in just 143 at-bats, and he stole eight bases in 11 attempts.

In the postseason, Furcal hit .333 in L.A.’s Division Series sweep of the Cubs, and hit .211 with a homer in the Dodgers’ NLCS loss to the Phillies.

Could Furcal play second base? Sure he could. He played 31 games there in 2000, four in 2002 and one in 2004, and has played there in winter ball. His range may not be what it once was, but the 31-year-old still has a great arm and could just as easily play shortstop if the Braves move Escobar.

Some reports coming out of Atlanta today are adamant that the Braves will move Johnson back to left field (where he played during his rookie season in 2005, before moving to second base after missing all of 2006 with injury). That would put Furcal at second and keep Escobar at short and, the more I think about it, wouldn’t be bad. You have three good hitters in Furcal, Escobar and Johnson, three guys who put the ball in play and who are good at working the count. Add in Casey Kotchman, and there are four pretty good guys at going deep in counts, seeing pitches, making the opposing hurler work, and hitting line drives into the gap.

And we all know Kelly’s power production in left, even if he hits 15 home runs, would be an improvement from last season.

Still, I think the Braves will dangle either Escobar or Johnson on the open market and see if there are any takers, provided the Furcal thing doesn’t hit a snag at the 11th hour (and again, I really don’t think it would … but it is still 2008, and this year’s been pretty crappy for the Braves, so we’ll see). As much as I would hate to satisfy Kevin Towers following the poor way the San Diego GM conducted negotiations for Peavy, if the Padres are open to talking for the former Cy Young winner who is locked up for the next four years on the cheap and, at age 27, is entering the prime of his career, I think the Braves should listen.

Johnson has less trade value than Escobar, but could be packaged to land a Greinke or a Paul Maholm type to slot in at No. 3 in the rotation. Trading for a pitcher would then leave the Braves open to trying to sign somebody like Adam Dunn to play left field. Hey, he whiffs a bunch, but you could do worse than a guy who has hit 40 homers in each of the past four seasons.

The Braves have said time and time again they are not interested in Dunn, and if you take the organization at its word today, they’re content to put Johnson out there rather than shell out big money for a bopper like Dunn or, an older alternative, like Bobby Abreu. But unless the Braves decide at the very last minute to jump in on Derek Lowe, there isn’t an ace No. 1 pitcher on the open market.

Interesting times. I just don’t think the Braves are done yet. Stay tuned, and let’s hope nothing goes awry with Furcal at the last minute.

—30—

Trackback URI | Comments RSS