Some Real News!

by Al Yellon on Nov 29, 2005 3:57 PM CST in Chicago Cubs News

Rafael Furcal and his agents have quietly spent the week meeting personally with the Cubs and Braves. A meeting with Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti was scheduled for Tuesday night.

Those sessions signal that the Cubs, Braves and Dodgers are the three teams left in what was once a furious scramble to sign the best free-agent shortstop on the market.

The article goes on to say that the Braves might ask Furcal for a "hometown discount".

I seriously doubt that the Dodgers are a real player in this scenario -- they may be doing this because Frank McCourt wants to make a MSM splash.

Hey, this next line is for that rumor site:

I think Furcal will sign with the Cubs before the week is out.

UPDATE [2005-11-29 16:12:20 by Al]:

The free-agent market has officially gone off the deep end.

The Blue Jays are apparently about to offer Brian Giles -- you sitting down? -- a 5-year, $55 million deal. That is just nuts.

UPDATE [2005-11-29 19:58:27 by Al]:

David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes in tomorrow's editions that:

Braves free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal is leaning toward signing with the Chicago Cubs.

A source familiar with negotiations said Furcal received a five-year offer from the Cubs that was significantly greater than he was offered by the Braves, both in dollars and contract length.

Cross your fingers, Cub fans. I think good news is coming very soon.

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It also says..

.. that the Braves have started looking at other options, and that the industry "buzz" says it will be the Cubs.

Sounds good so far.

by gravedigger on Nov 29, 2005 4:14 PM CST reply actions

well according to my dog, who has an in at Wrigley, the Cubs are nearing a deal that would send Carlos Beltran to the D'Rays, 1B Huff to the Cubs, and Corey Patterson to the Mets. I'm also told Minaya has very psyched about the deal.

2006 -- AC036097 -- Eamus Catuli!

by priorpwnz on Nov 29, 2005 4:20 PM CST reply actions

Why do we...

need another 1B?

C'mon now...anyone can have a bad century...

by Kinky Reggae on Nov 29, 2005 5:01 PM CST up reply actions

well haven't you read

the Thome thread? Everyone else seems to think we got him too.

2006 -- AC036097 -- Eamus Catuli!

by priorpwnz on Nov 29, 2005 5:04 PM CST up reply actions

And...

... I heard the Cubs are offering Patterson, Hill and Mitre for Albert Pujols.

(That's for this site.)

by Al Yellon on Nov 29, 2005 5:07 PM CST up reply actions

Jocketty

is a smart man, and I know when he sees that Corey is involved with the deal he'll be more than glad to give up his NL MVP first baseman.

2006 -- AC036097 -- Eamus Catuli!

by priorpwnz on Nov 29, 2005 5:11 PM CST up reply actions

agreed

how could you not pass on the potential that is corey patterson? besides that 1B of theirs is underachieving. If he was REALLY good he would have won the gold glove and silver slugger.......

AC 00 00 00 - BELIEVE

by mike @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Nov 29, 2005 6:29 PM CST up reply actions

Agreed

underachiever!

Didn't cure cancer either. tsk tsk...

2006 -- AC036097 -- Eamus Catuli!

by priorpwnz on Nov 30, 2005 2:31 AM CST up reply actions

I caught that after I posted.

C'mon now...anyone can have a bad century...

by Kinky Reggae on Nov 29, 2005 7:20 PM CST up reply actions

Jesus

Those Blue Jays can spend!

2006 -- AC036097 -- Eamus Catuli!

by priorpwnz on Nov 29, 2005 4:21 PM CST reply actions

The Blue Jays..

... are the new Orioles.

by Al Yellon on Nov 29, 2005 4:22 PM CST up reply actions

Ryan

At least someone's trying to argue their case.

by Ienpw @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Nov 29, 2005 9:06 PM CST up reply actions

So long as the Cardinals.............

.........don't get Giles, I happy to see him move on, especially to the AL. Now the only time he'll get to beat up the Cubs is in the WS.........

by tville on Nov 29, 2005 9:21 PM CST up reply actions

3 months ago

I wrote that it would take 3 years and $39 million to get Giles. I think the Blue Jays are UNDERSPENDING given the market if Giles does agree to this contract. I'm surprised at the length, not the dollars.

by socalbob on Nov 29, 2005 4:24 PM CST reply actions

you got to spend

if your Toronto. First does anyone know if the Ryan or reported Giles deal, is US or Canadian dollars. Makes a big difference. Second, to woo anyone to come to Toronto, you better be willing to pony up the cash, there's no reason to go there unless they're getting paid more than anywhere else, especially Giles who has ties in warm, sunny California.

It's what they have to do to compete in that division. They've already developed a good amount of talent, now they're just adding what could be the final pieces to really challenge the Red Sox and Yanks. Add a starting pitcher (Burnett or Milwood) and it's a really good looking team.

by RobG @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Nov 29, 2005 7:27 PM CST up reply actions

All the figures reported...

... are in US dollars.

by Al Yellon on Nov 29, 2005 7:42 PM CST up reply actions

The Blue Jays

have to pay their players in US dollars.

However, as I noted earlier, the Canadian dollar is up to $.84 from $.63 just two years ago. So it doesn't make as much difference as it used to, so the Jays have a bit more money now.

I never travel far without a little Big Star

by Josh Timmers on Nov 29, 2005 7:42 PM CST up reply actions

However...

... the rate is almost identical to what it was ONE year ago.

So what makes the Blue Jays so willing to spend NOW when they weren't last offseason?

That's what is puzzling.

by Al Yellon on Nov 29, 2005 7:53 PM CST up reply actions

Rogers...

...said last year that they would be increasing the budget this year and the next two(?) years. They finalized the purchase of SkyDome last year and all the teams have gotten a lot of new revenure sharing money from the XM and new ESPN deals, not to mention MLBAM.

by jolietconvict on Nov 29, 2005 8:19 PM CST up reply actions

Then...

... maybe it's all that new revenue sharing money that's driving ALL these seemingly expensive deals, not just what Toronto is doing.

by Al Yellon on Nov 29, 2005 8:21 PM CST up reply actions

Absolutely...

...plus there's the tinfoil conspiracy that says the owner's are driving up salaries so they can claim that salaries are out of control and there needs to be a cap when the CBA is renegotiated after next season.

by jolietconvict on Nov 29, 2005 9:13 PM CST up reply actions

I like Giles

But only for 3 years - 4 tops - for at most $10 mil per; $8 or 9 mil per is more like it. It looks like whoever is doing these deals for Toronto is suffering from Tom-Hicks-signing-Alex-Rodriguez disease: bidding against himself. This one's reminiscent of the Dodgers' ill-fated signing of Darren Driefort for the same exact years and money - will this be prophetic for Giles' stay north of the border (if he takes it)?

Matt

by gauchodirk on Nov 29, 2005 4:27 PM CST reply actions

It's also...

... the same amount/years J. D. Drew signed for with the Dodgers.

That worked out real well.

by Al Yellon on Nov 29, 2005 4:32 PM CST up reply actions

Follow-up

In the interest of fairness, I spelled Dreifort's name wrong. I just wanted to note that he "earned" $13.4 million in 2005 for not recording even one out for any of the 30 MLB teams.

If MLB were like the NFL, where contracts are not guaranteed, payrolls would certainly be different, and the Dodgers could have dumped this guy. Of course, there's no salary cap in baseball, so I'm kind of comparing apples to oranges. Plus the MLBPA would go nuts.

Matt

by gauchodirk on Nov 29, 2005 4:44 PM CST up reply actions

Agreed

Well, kind of surprised about the dollars, but the amount of years next to it is more what I raise an eyebrow to.

If I'm Steinbrenner/Cashman and I'm serious about getting Giles at this point, I'd say 4 years a 58mm.

2006 -- AC036097 -- Eamus Catuli!

by priorpwnz on Nov 29, 2005 4:28 PM CST reply actions

Left out the best part

Article goes on to say that Neffi and MADDUX made
recruiting calls. I am a bit surprised they could
drag GM off the golf course to call but even more
that he would. Not really the type to get personally
involved in these things. I am guessing he is a
little tired of seeing all those stranded runner and would
like Furcal behind him when he pitches. I am just
hoping he did not spend too much time discussing
how Maddux's last two years have been back with the Cubs

by jessica on Nov 29, 2005 4:38 PM CST reply actions

I'm getting anxious...

with all this waiting.

As for Brian Giles, what a deal! Are there trees that grow money in Canada??

Note to Blue Jays: If you want the perfect fan sparkles is available for the cheap deal of 100 years and $5 billion.

sPaRkLe Hendry sPaRkLe!

by sparkles721 on Nov 29, 2005 5:02 PM CST reply actions

i'll give

a hometown discount of 3 billion for 75.

...and maybe a few reliable trade rumors for a very low fee of 500mil.

2006 -- AC036097 -- Eamus Catuli!

by priorpwnz on Nov 30, 2005 2:34 AM CST up reply actions

Atlanta Urinal and Constipation writer view

Dan O'brien thinks Furcal will sign with the Braves. Here is the link is anyone wants to read it. http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/braves/entries/2005/11/29/team_about_to_g.html

by LT on Nov 29, 2005 6:25 PM CST reply actions

Ok, I need a lesson on making neater links

Al, how do you do that?

by LT on Nov 29, 2005 6:26 PM CST up reply actions

how to

<a href="www.cubs.com">This will link to the Cubs homepage, if you post this as autoformat instead of plain text.</a>.

The Cubs will thrive in twenty-oh-five... or sometime thereafter!

by Shawn Domagal-Goldman on Nov 29, 2005 6:37 PM CST up reply actions

Reminder...

... to all those who do this -- put

target=newwindow

after the URL; that way you won't navigate totally away from BCB!

by Al Yellon on Nov 30, 2005 4:20 AM CST up reply actions

Or...

start using Firefox and click links using your scroll button and open them in a new tab.

"Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!" -Homer J. Simpson

by Whitebacon on Nov 30, 2005 4:57 AM CST up reply actions

A little HTML lesson...

Here's how you have to do it, and this will be rather untidy, because if I just type it the way I normally do, it won't show up here, it'll show up as a link.

Type a left angle bracket (a < ), then

a href="

then the URL you want

then close the quote.

Then put a space, and then target=newwindow (this will open the link in a new browser window which you can close when you're done).

Then a right angle bracket (a > ).

Then write what you want to appear on the page (i.e. "Click here to go to my link!"), then type

a left angle bracket

a /

the letter a

and a right angle bracket.

Hope this makes sense. Keep experimenting if it doesn't.

by Al Yellon on Nov 29, 2005 6:40 PM CST up reply actions

Doh-

I used to have my own web page so I used to know how to do HTML. Duh...Thanks for the help.

test

by LT on Nov 29, 2005 7:02 PM CST up reply actions

November 29, 2005 04:55 PM |

Well, I hate to contradict myself so soon, but note I did write the above blog early this morning.

I've since had some conversations that lead me to believe Furcal is far from a done deal for Braves. Far, far from a done deal. But that's all I can say now.

Gonna keep making calls and got to write for tomorrow's paper.

by LT on Nov 29, 2005 6:38 PM CST reply actions