Quick thoughts on Rafael Furcal
Who is apparently, as we speak, re-signing with the Dodgers. Although give it another 10 minutes and he could end up on the Lakers (a 15th roster spot is still available).
It's being reported that Furcal is back for another three years and $30 million, guaranteed. As I expressed just recently, Furcal's back still makes me nervous (it's often a body part that never really heals), thus concerning me that retaining the shortstop for anything along the lines of big dollars or long years is mighty dicey. While three years isn't exactly a life sentence, the money involved isn't quite cat food, either. If Furcal's string of injuries while donning blue continue, the Dodgers are staring down both the grim prospects of metaphorical cash spending its time on a trainer's table, but a very sizable hole in need of filling.
Of course, there is also an obvious upside, should Furcal remain able to stay on the field. His presence makes the Dodgers considerably more dynamic and dangerous, whether at the top of the lineup as one of baseball's better leadoff men or in the field with his range and cannon arm. Furcal's worth as a leader and spark provider, particularly among the Spanish-speaking players, should never be underestimated. As I noted in August (and Joe Torre agreed), the breath of fresh air provided by Manny Ramirez upon arrival in many ways filled the one created with Furcal out of commission. Very clear in his desire to remain a Dodger, the guy has an infectious energy that was noticeably missed on this often absurdly reserved team.
Mind you, the clubhouse is guaranteed to lighten up next season by virtue of Jeff Kent's absence, but that's beside the point.
At any rate, it's all about Furcal remaining in one piece through 2011. Fingers crossed ...
AK
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Okay, some stuff was written in the heat of the moment so let's backtrack. Zito + Hampton = CC. I wonder what Steinbrenner's nickname will be for him since "fat pussy toad" is already taken by Irabu. It'll be fun.
Second, I want to see BorASS fail more than anyone alive. So when Manny doesn't get the 4-5 year $24M/per he thinks is (or BorASS promised he would) GREAT. I'd like nothing better for Manny than to fire BorASS and crawl back to the table with another dumb gas-economic analogy. "Uh hey guys, I hear the government is giving out bailouts, and speaking of bailouts..."
But signing Furcal is not an addition. It is not addition by subtraction, like getting rid of Pierre. It's subtraction by subtraction.
Haven't we been here before? Don't you guys know how this plays out? This is just a repeat of pre-Manny 2008 only minus Saito, Penny, Lowe, Kent, Nomar, Beimel, Chan Ho, etc etc etc. Not saying there isn't some good in that either but you know how that team turned out without Manny.
And if you think Manny is expensive now, wait until next year's trade deadline. Simers and Rosenthal will be cutting and pasting last year's, "Dodgers in search of big bat" headlines, Flanders will be dealing away PROSPECTS in lieu of cash. See how much that ends up costing the Dodgers.
Posted by: Wayne | December 18, 2008 at 10:09 PM
No, BK.
These days, the sun apparently revolves around the Boras.
Posted by: asdf | December 19, 2008 at 01:40 AM
If there's no Manny, I think Abreu is superior to Dunn.
Posted by: WBB | December 19, 2008 at 07:02 AM
VA Dodger,
Manny was the entire productive lineup against the Phlilies, and yes he was awesome. It was the young guys whose bats went cold, no one is saying get rid of them. The young guys will eventually produce more consistently (Eithier, Martin). As we saw last year, this process will be accelerated with Manny, and his production cannot be replicated by anybody in the game right now.
AJ?!!! Are you nuts? Pray for a trade where we pay someone $23 million to take him for a good bat boy and a bag of chips to be named later. Otherwise do not renew his visa and keep him in the Caribbean. If I see him show up next year and Manny is gone, so will I.
Posted by: Dodger Dude | December 19, 2008 at 08:57 AM
No more AJ2 signings! Go for the real deal. One that we experimented with and PROVED that works. SIGN MANNY for X sake! VA, you can look at any of his statistics (including batting average, and know this guy is the guy to sign). If you get the best hitter in the game, what in hades could you complain about? Manny is a natural West Coast guy, he'll be miserable in the East, its a no brainer.
Posted by: Dodger Dude | December 19, 2008 at 09:07 AM
By the way, Philadelphia just beat us and won the World Series with good hitting and mediocre, but solid pitching.
Posted by: Dodger Dude | December 19, 2008 at 09:09 AM
Signing Furcal for 3 years was a big risk, but one that LA had to take in order to solidify their infield. On "Manny Watch" this deal is being held hostage by Mark Texeira. However, with Texeira apparently not going to Boston, the Angels are again the front runners for Tex. This is good, since if the Angels sign Tex, then they will not go after Manny, and we know Manny is not going back to Boston, so that would only leave the Yanks and LA in the picture. Does Manny really want to go to NY? That will be question; it will be hard for him to resist all that $$ they are going to offer him. LA is going to have to guarantee at least 3 years and maybe an option for 4, if they are going to compete.
Posted by: steve02001 | December 19, 2008 at 10:00 AM
VA BlueBlood,
Agree w/ most stuff except the negativity against my boy Package.... Package usually brings a different perspective into a discussion...don't always agree and don't on this point but never the less, he is definitely "not baseball ignorant".
I do think Dunn is a great second option if Manny is not signed.... he is NOT Manny but if you don't get Manny what's the next step?? ... Dunn gets 40 HR's a season and that's what the Dodgers need.... and usually w/ a guy who gets 40+ HR's a season, you usually get a low ON BASE... however Dunn gets on base at a .380 clip?!!!! ... better than jackrabbit PIERRE!!.................. which brings me to another point...
Benzo,
huh? ... now you've crossed the line sir! You would rather have Pierre over Dunn?! ... Either the snow in Vegas has you dillusional or you are not a Dodger fan (to wish Pierre over Dunn). Likely, becoming the blog's GM, you feel that you need to eminate (is this the right spelling?) the present acting Dodger GM Ned Colletis-itis and make some wacky claims about Pierre being an asset and worth his contract.
Posted by: Rob | December 19, 2008 at 10:17 AM
I'm with DBrim....Stan Conte shows up and suddenly injuries are on the rise. As long as you're getting rid of him, throw our pitching coach out along with him.
My wife threatens me every day with, "If the Dodgers don't sign Manny Ramirez, I will never go back to Dodger Stadium again!" I believe her....the Dodgers should too. We're good for about 30 games a year, times two admission tickets for each contest, along with the manditory $15 for parking, three Mike's Hard Lemonade per game, two Famous Stars an outing, One Diet Coke each time I buy food. Pay attention McCourts! That's a lot of revenue you'll never get again.....Just sign the man already!
Posted by: J_Is_Dismayed | December 19, 2008 at 11:04 AM
I'm stoked that last year's infield will stay intact for a few more years. It's a good group of players and it's great to have some stability there. Pray that Rafael stays healthy.
Onto Manny - I think it's going to come down to the Yanks and the Dodgers. The winner will be the one that offers the most money over three guaranteed years. Hopefully it's the Dodgers. But what is Ned's back-up plan if Manny lands elsewhere? I love Dunn's bat, but he has DH written all over him. And as of today, we still have four outfielders. I'm not sure I want to count on the punchless Juandruw Jonierre to be an everyday player going into spring training. And I would hate to see Ethier or Kemp not in the lineup (or worse, traded). Hopefully, it won't matter -- Manny will be in left, we'll have the same lineup as last season, and Juandruw can sit on the bench.
Posted by: D-Web | December 19, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Va Blueblood
Clearly I have upset you. I apoligize. I just feel like the Dodgers should always strive for excellence. Settling for Dunn or someone else does not get the job done replacing Manny, in my opinion. Yes, I do think there is a place for BA, just as there is for all other stats, however just as you put credability to the stats you use in determining what is important in determining a players worth, I also use some of what you use and other stats. I do not think a player can make the HOF with a .247BA. Although I disagree with you on various items, I do not think you are ignorant, stupid or uninformed. I just disagree.
Package
P.S. My name is not Homes.
Posted by: Package | December 19, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Bottom Line:
Furcal and his agent are SCUM, as they proved in their dishonest dealings with the Braves. We're glad we won't have to deal with either of them in the future.
Posted by: Chris in Atlanta | December 19, 2008 at 01:01 PM
No Dunn, No How. I'd take Abreu everytime.
Why is Pat Burrell drawing zero attention. I'm not advocating the Dodgers sign him, but no team seems interested.
Posted by: dalegirbel | December 19, 2008 at 01:23 PM
http://www.baseball-reference.com/f/furcara02.shtml
That's Rafael Furcal's stat page at baseball-reference.com. He's only had two seasons affected by injuries, so please don't go crazy calling him a major injury risk and capping his potential games played per season at 80. That's ridiculous.
Also, how can anyone POSSIBLY believe that batting average doesn't matter? You realize that getting walked isn't the same as hitting the ball, right? I mean, with a man on third and two outs, would you rather have Adam Dunn or Juan Pierre? At least Pierre will try to hit the guy in. A walk accomplishes nothing in that situation. Yeah, a homerun is better than a single, because two runs are better than one, but a strikeout is SIGNIFICANTLY worse than a hit, and even worse than a ground out. Players can score on ball in play.
Look at all the awesomely patient Oakland A's teams... Yeah they made it to the playoffs by beating out the Mariners, Rangers, and Angels roughly 8 to 10 years ago, but they never advanced through a playoff series. You have to swing and hit the ball in a short series. Over a full season, the preference for walks bears out, because a lineup faces average to terrible pitching, and they get through 700 plate appearances. In a 5 or 7 game series, a batter will be lucky to get 20 plate appearances, and they'll be facing the league's best pitching. When pitchers throw strikes, batting average is vastly more important than OBP. Show me one team who won the world series with a lousy team BA.
Posted by: Alfred | December 19, 2008 at 02:17 PM
Benzo--I think you'd just miss the fun of Manny. I concur that Dunn ain't so fun. But dude can mash.
Dodger Dude--I concur that Manny has a better bat than Dunn for the next two years. I am skeptical about after that though. I think defense is pretty much a draw--they're both awful, and the only difference is that Manny will make you scratch your head, while Dunn just looks slow. But yes, I am saying Dunn is the NEXT best option. I would prefer Manny too.
WBB--I would earnestly like to hear your reasoning on that. I could be convinced, but just looking at numbers, my thinking is that Dunn's slugging makes him more productive overall.
Package (and Rob)--not upset, man, not at all. Just caught a headwind of writing steam, and I got into the furious style of verbiage favored by the writers I enjoy. But in no way was it my intention to call you ignorant so much as I meant to label the traditional, narrow baseball statistics as such. (and by that I mean the hitting and pitching triple crowns and NOTHING else; to only consider those--as most HOF voters do--is willfully blind). No sir, no personal offense intended, and I sincerely apologize if it came off that way. Package, I have very much enjoyed verbally sparring with you on here on numerous occasions, but I never, ever intend for it to be personal. I hope you can accept my apology, and I look forward to further engaging you in baseball debate.
Posted by: VA Blueblood | December 19, 2008 at 02:46 PM
Chris in Atlanta,
Quit crying over spilled milk...you know you wanted the best hitting shortstop in the NL back on your team...Furcal and his agent used your team to get to get where he wanted to play...which is LA...You can't tell me other agents aren't doing this all the time...Look at "Borass" for a prime example...My suggestion to you is get over it and move on
Posted by: K T | December 19, 2008 at 03:00 PM
I'll second the motion for Chris in ATL to get over it. I will admit that I am a Clippers Fan. Elton Brand and his agent played the Clips like a fiddle this summer before running to the Sixers this summer, which made me bummed, but I didn't go trolling onto the Sixers blog pages calling them "SCUM."
Besides, are Atlanta Sports Fans supposed to be the only fanbase in the country who is more apathetic than the fans in Los Angeles?
Posted by: DodgerBlueBalls | December 19, 2008 at 04:05 PM
Rob - You missed my point... wouldn't everyone want to see Pierre in a Mankini over Dunn?
Posted by: benzojones | December 19, 2008 at 05:24 PM
Remember this LA...Karma..Furcal is going to roll over in May thinking about something and be out all year..Karma
ATL
Posted by: David C | December 19, 2008 at 07:16 PM
David C, Chris from Atlanta... Why is it all the big names leave ATL ... Furcal, Teixeira, Maddux? Because the fans are whiners, management is cheap, and the Buffalo Bills of baseball are not winners.
Oh well, so much for that blockbuster Peavy trade huh...maybe we can pull something together now that we have a surplus of SS!
Posted by: Jesse from SC | December 19, 2008 at 09:02 PM
I have to side with the fellow East Sider, VA Blueblood. He makes a good argument for OBP and Abreu.
Man I miss reading for a few days and this blog turns into a big lovefest... and did someone actually mention a mankini?
BTW, since I live in Braves territory, I feel like Ronald McDonald "i'm lovin it"!!
Posted by: Jesse from SC | December 19, 2008 at 09:02 PM
Jesse,
I was thinking the same about Peavy....I think we could probably work something out without giving up too much
Posted by: K T | December 20, 2008 at 12:37 AM