Journalists Definitely Not Furcal's Top Priority

It's the dawn of a new day. You could argue about who came off worse in Tuesday's meanderings - Rafael Furcal, his representation or baseball's beat writers. But then it's never pretty watching sausage being made, isn't it?

Anyway, the sunrise didn't bring us any news about where this particular link was going to be delivered. So while we wait:

Sherry Stern of the Times peeks at hotels near the Dodgers' new Camelback Ranch Spring Training facility.

Ramon Troncoso is discussed as a "hidden gem" at Fangraphs.

Comments

[Disabled List]

1.  What's going to end sooner? The Furcal saga, or the Minnesota Senate recount?

I have partisan interests in both cases, but at this point, I don't care either way. Just get it over with.

[delias man]

2.  Wikipedia says TW has minority ownership in MLB network, so I would assume that TW will offer that channel.

[Ken Noe]

3.  While I hope it ends today, and in a way that protects us from Cabrera or Wilson, I confess I'd be intrigued to see what headlines Jon would keep coming up with.

[Bob Timmermann]

4.  1
Either way, Nate Silver is going to have to do a projection.

[natepurcell]

5.  The Tron-Tron write up at fan graphs was optimistic!

[ToyCannon]

6.  As I recall no one has been a bigger Troncoso booster then DodgerCanuck.

[natepurcell]

7.  6

That Tron-Tron to Carmona comparison would be sweet.

[JoeyP]

8.  Did Dave Cameron forget the #1 rule about statistical analysis: sample size.

38 innings.

How can you base any projections based on 38 MLB innings?

[JoeyP]

9.  In addition, I dont think Cameron looked Troncoso's 2008 season in Vegas.

30.2 IP
4.7 BB/9
5.3 K/9

Sure, the guy somehow put up way better numbers in MLB than AAA last year, but until Troncoso puts more innings under his belt, it'll be hard to determine how good he is.

[natepurcell]

10.  8

Minor league numbers and scouting do support what Tron Tron did in the majors.

[natepurcell]

11.  9

Well...besides Vegas...

[JoeyP]

12.  10- He's had only 1 stretch (Inland Empire (26 IP in 2007)) that was really eye opening. His stops in AA & AAA were not anything special.

He has done well at every stop of not giving up homers though.

[Kevin Lewis]

13.  The news about Rocco Baldelli in the last thread made me happy for him and his family. I truly hope this is the beginning of a new life for him

[regfairfield]

14.  How many guys can throw low to mid 90s with a Derek Lowe like ground ball percentage?

That's more than enough reason to be enthusiastic about Troncoso, regardless of his numbers.

[DemRmyBums]

15.  Interesting questions regarding Troncoso, however, He has not piched since Nov 29th. Why?
It would make for an interesting if young starting 5 of
Billingsly (24)
Kuroda (34)
Kershaw (21)
Troncoso (26)
McDonald (24)

With backup starters of Stults(29)/Schmidt(36)/Elbert(23)/Castillo(24)/Miller(24)/Orenduff(25)

Bullpen
Garate (24)
Elbert (23)
Schlichting (24)
Wade (25)
Broxton (24)
Kuo (27)
Stults (29) long Relief
Castillo (24) long Relief (7-4 3.24 era at Jax)

Here are 17 pitchers from the Dodgers current 40 man roster. Maybe it is time to give them a chance,
rather than throwing more money at Free Agents or our talent at questionable trades.

[regfairfield]

16.  Everyone on that list who actually deserves a chance has gotten one.

[arborial]

17.  0 actually sausage being made can be quite entertaining

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geQ5bSA3A1I

[DemRmyBums]

18.  Another thing about Troncoso is groundballs tend to get though a minor league infield much more frequently than a major league one.

[Eric Stephen]

19.  Mmmm....sausage.

Speaking of food, I got up at 5am this morning to make chili verde for a holiday potluck at work. The crock pot is on in the office next to me, and is making the office smell really good.

[MollyKnight]

20.  I thought he was supposed to make a decision by Tuesday.

It's now Wednesday!

[Eric Stephen]

21.  20
Plus, Furcal's agent is also K-Rod's agent, and K-Rod's press conference is today, so I wonder if Paul Kinzer will be too busy to move forward with the Furcal deal.

[DemRmyBums]

22.  16 As was mentioned earlier a small sample size is not good for providing sound analysis. I can remember Koufax's first 4 years when he was on the Brooklyn roster but seldom got to pitch due to Brooklyn/LA being in the race for the NL title and a certain manager's predilection for proven ability. I am not saying that any specific pitcher mentioned will provide what we need this year; however, I believe that the 40 man roster has more that enough talent to provide us with an excellent opportunity to win the NL West without resorting to Free Agents or Trades to provide that missing element.

[Kevin Lewis]

23.  20

I feel deceived

[CajunDodger]

24.  21
Are Arn Tellem and Kinzer partners? I read yesterday that Tellem was negotiating with Colletti on the West Coast while Kinzer was dealing with the Braves on the East Coast.

[Eric Stephen]

25.  24
Cool, maybe the Braves won't get dealt with today while Arn Tellem tries to make amends with the city of LA for the Elton Brand deal.

[Big Game]

26.  19 Speaking of sausages, I tried out this place on 3rd and Traction for lunch yesterday: http://www.wurstkucherestaurant.com/

They seem to be getting the kinks out as far as service goes, and its still under construction inside...but the beer selection is excellent and the sausages are quite good. Could be a good post-work/pre-Dodger Stadium stop next season.

[Jacob Burch]

27.  26 My girlfriend keeps bugging me to take us there, obsessed with the idea of an Alligator sausage.

Having Chimay White and Karmeliet on tap doesn't hurt the prospects of us going soon...

[Eric Stephen]

28.  26
Now I have another place I need to try before a Dodger game next season. That place looks great! Thanks for the link.

[arborial]

29.  26 wow, that menu looks amazing

[Kevin Lewis]

30.  26

I have heart burn alreay

[CajunDodger]

31.  27
Down in LaPlace, Louisiana, there is an alligator festival with alligator meat pretty much any way you can imagine it. Kinda tastes like a beef/pork mix to me with a little bit of the "gemey-ness" of wild duck.

I get a lot of my jambalaya and etouffee supplies here, and they sell alligator sausage too: http://tinyurl.com/5w42kx

[bablue]

32.  22,
So you don't want us to sign Furcal, Manny, or any FA SP's?

[still bevens]

33.  26 I went there last week. Pretty good stuff. Its small at the moment but supposedly they're expanding the kitchen and dining area soon.

[MC Safety]

34.  31 I'm visiting some friends out in Baton Rouge in April, and I can't wait. I hear it's prime time for crawfish.

[underdog]

35.  I never thought the movie Teen Wolf would have such a profound effect on someone.

"I nominate Stylez G. White for best NFL name change of '08"
http://tinyurl.com/6m988

[Bob Timmermann]

36.  35
Worst tinyurl referral ever.

[underdog]

37.  More blahblah about all the blahblah revolving around the Furcalsythe Saga, here from the Atlanta perspective:

http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/braves/entries/2008/12/17/furcal_matter_h.html

[underdog]

38.  36 Thanks! Is there a prize?

Otherwise, I sentence you to watch "Teen Wolf Too" as further punishment.

[Marty]

39.  26 That looks like it might be in the old Al's Bar location. I'll have to get over there.

Also, The Nickel Diner on Main between 5th and 6th is excellent. Amazing pulled pork sandwich. The pastry chef worked for Thomas Keller too.

[Bob Timmermann]

40.  The tinyurl in 35 brings up this:

Page Not Found

The page you have requested cannot be found.

[DemRmyBums]

41.  32 My comment was directed mainly at pitching; however, If we fail to sign Manny, and Furcal. I do not believe we need to hang our heads in gloom. We were competitive with Arizona with Furcal on the DL and before we got Manny. Pitching and defense can keep us in games and give us opprotunities to win. Will we be the best team out there on paper? No. But did the best team on paper going in to spring training win last year?

[Big Game]

42.  [33, et al] They actually have a full bar set up that theyre working on. A really nice wood bar with some more taps. They seemed a bit overwhelmed with the lunch rush when I was there, so be patient with the service if/when you try it out.

[underdog]

43.  Hey, someone's stealing my metaphor! (Not that it was particularly ingenious in the first place.)

(From Buster Olney:)
>>One official involved in the Rafael Furcal negotiations drew this comparison. "First, Furcal was dating the A's," the official said. "Then, on Monday night, he got engaged to the Braves. And now, the ex-husband -- the Dodgers -- has come back into the picture."<<

[underdog]

44.  40 Ahhh, whoops..I see. Hmm, I think that's a Yahoo problem. Some of their URLs have an odd structure which seems to break when TinyURL'd.

At any rate, it's really not worth revisiting but it's on MJD's Shutdown Corner blog on Yahoo Sports, if anyone cares.

[Jacob Burch]

45.  44 Ah, the pang of the scarlet letter!

http://tinyurl.com/6m988a

[CajunDodger]

46.  34
That is my absolutely favorite thing about Louisiana and the thing that I miss most since coming out here.

About 50 of us used to chip in $40 apiece and have this guy come in and boil them for us in a special rig he had. It was a 500 gallon pot he made from thin-walled refinery pipe. He had it suspended from two cranes mounted on a car trailer with the largest gas burner under it I ever saw (it was the size of a car hood).

He would boil them for us in 750 pound batches.

[Jacob Burch]

47.  I get to beat Tripon!

11:35am: Yahoo's Tim Brown: Furcal is "nearing an agreement with the Dodgers."

From MLBTR.

Here we go again!

[Bob Timmermann]

48.  If it's from MLBTR, it's like gospel. It's like the Ten Commandments. It's carved in stone.

[ToyCannon]

49.  43
The Braves are the smart 1st husband who wanted his wife back and can't remember why they let her go in the 1st place. The Dodgers are the 2nd husband who was having 2nd thoughts about letting her go even though they knew about her problems. The A's had an excellent personality but since when does that get it done.

[Eric Stephen]

50.  48
I present to you these 15...[drops a tablet]...10 commandments!

[Lexinthedena]

51.  26 I am there!

Furcal's back situation has me feeling like Russel Crowe after the seizure scene in 'Romper Stomper'.

I want to see Hu/DeJesus personally.

[jujibee]

52.  Some good news from a Jason Stark interview on ESPN radio. The Nationals will go hard after Dunn and O-Dog if they fail to sign Texiera. Now we just have to hope that Tex makes his mind up while the Furcal negociations are still in progress. The last thing I want for Christmas is another lost draft pick for another mediocre veteran, and I can see Ned panic at the thought of not having a SS, should Furcal sign with the Braves, and throw a 2 year 22 million deal at Hudson. Hurry up and sign with the Red Sox already Tex.

[Eric Stephen]

53.  52
Hudson has never played SS in either the majors or minors.

[Tripon]

54.  Its not Hudson you have to worry about, its Orlando Cabrera.

[Lexinthedena]

55.  Cabrera is such a Neddy player too.

I'm even MORE worried about an Omar Vizquel signing.

[CajunDodger]

56.  47
The way things are going with this saga, ere is the coming press release from the Yankees:

"The Yankees today came to terms with Rafael Furcal on a 4 year $70 million contract. They then took advantage of the Dodgers ensuing desperation by trading them Derek Jeter and Melky Cabrera for a package that included Corey Wade, Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Ramon Troncoso, and Andrew Lambo."

[dzzrtRatt]

57.  Is it fair to say that a healthy Furcal would be the top free agent on the market this offseason? Bigger bucks than Manny, Tex or CC?

[underdog]

58.  The Dodgers signed Tony Orlando and Dawn today...

Oh never mind.

As for the Furcal news, I believe it when it's signed, preferably in blood, and then that parchment is sealed in wax and sent by horseback to the commissioner's office. (Although Tim Brown is usually more accurate than some of the other guys...)

[Jacob Burch]

59.  48 Not that I was actually putting my own faith in the argument--just some people were looking for something to lick their chops on.

Although you may just be upset with me as I almost steered a conversation about Apple computers into A University To Not Be Named In Indiana. Luckily, IJ went with IU, and any mention was avoided.

[underdog]

60.  55 Well then all the more reason to root for the Furcal signing. It's not just what he represents, it's what he PREVENTS.

Fingers crossed..

If this goes through, the man is gonna receive his share of boos in Atlanta. But who cares -- they still do the Tomahawk Chop there, too.

[Gilberto Reyes]

61.  "Breaking news" from Yahoo sports Tim Brown...

According to sources familiar with the negotiations, talks between team owner Frank McCourt, general manager Ned Colletti and agent Arn Tellem progressed to the point both sides believed a deal would be struck.

The Dodgers' offer had been at two years with an option for a third. They improved their original offer in the last 24 hours, according to a source, though it is unknown if they guaranteed the third year or increased the contract's average annual value.

[Jacob Burch]

62.  57 Sort of interesting to think what kind of deal Furcal would have gotten had he kept healthy in 2008 and held at least somewhat pace with his early numbers.

[Lexinthedena]

63.  60 ...and that is why my heart will never bleed for the Stonewall Braves.

[underdog]

64.  Poor Gilberto, so close and yet so far. ;-)

[silverwidow]

65.  I am knocking on wood, right now:

Furcal SS
Ethier LF
Martin C
Loney 1B
Kemp RF
Blake 3B
DeWitt 2B
Jones CF

This is decent.

[underdog]

66.  Can the Dodgers also afford to re-sign Manny if they sign Furcal? I feel they can. Then they bring in one more pitcher on a short term contract. And they're done.

[DemRmyBums]

67.  65 Only if Jones can make contact.

[Tripon]

68.  Joel Sherman learned from Kinzer that the Dodgers are in the lead, having matched the Braves' three-year, $30MM offer with a vesting option. Paul Kinzer told Sherman the idea of switching to second base for the Braves gave Furcal pause.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12172008/sports/moresports/dodgers_take_lead_for_furcal_144643.htm

[fanerman]

69.  Well I don't seem to be food poisoned at least.

[silverwidow]

70.  68 The agent says a decision will be made today.

It's looking good!

[DemRmyBums]

71.  If we manage to sign Furcal and Manny we should (on paper) win the West again. One point is that we could use HU to give Furcal a rest late in a ball game while improving our defense. I don't think we need a free agent pitcher; however, management will probably sign someone Johnson/Wolf...

[fanerman]

72.  What's a vesting option?

[Eric Stephen]

73.  57
Is it fair to say that a healthy Furcal would be the top free agent on the market this offseason? Bigger bucks than Manny, Tex or CC?

I think a healthy Furcal would still be a solid 3rd behind Tex and Manny, with a chance to edge Manny's total contract value. Tex is going to get a mega-deal, probably at least 8/160. The best Furcal could have received would probably be something like 6/90 or something like that.

[Eric Stephen]

74.  72
If you accumulate a certain number of games or PAs over a certain time period, the option year becomes guaranteed.

[MC Safety]

75.  46 Wow. That's a lot of crawfish. I guess everything really is bigger in the south. Or is that Texas?

[bferb]

76.  As much as I have hoped to have Furcal back, I still think I would rather have Manny and Hu/DeJesus than Furcal and Pierre/Jones. Furcal + Manny would certainly be great on paper for us.

[Bluebleeder87]

77.  My arteries are a bit intimadated by the diner comments...

[bablue]

78.  41,
Well, I certainly would be disappointed. If we don't sign Furcal or Manny we won't just play the kids we'll sign Cabrera/Garland/Hoffman and guys like that. But fortunately, it sounds like we got Furcal!! :)

57,
I think you may be joking but obviously Furcal would have goten nowhere near the contracts of CC and Tex even if he had stayed healthy because he is not close to as good as they are. He is also older than both of them by a few years.

[Eric Stephen]

79.  72 ,74
For instance, Kerry Wood's contract with the Indians is 2/$20.5m, with a vesting $11m option for 2011. If Wood has 55 games finished in either 2009 or 2010, the $11m option for 2011 becomes guaranteed.

[fanerman]

80.  73 Thanks.

[Eric Stephen]

81.  73
For some reason, I thought you were only talking position players in 57 . I glossed over the CC reference.

[JoeyP]

82.  I really hope Ned doesnt guarantee Furcal a 3rd year.

2yrs is fine.
But DeJesus is the SS of the future, and Furcal's either not been good or hurt the last 2/3 years.

[silverwidow]

83.  Furcal brings lots of positives if he signs, a few being:

*No Cabrera = keep our 1st rounder
*No Pierre = Torre won't feel the need to use him

[natepurcell]

84.  let this end!

[silverwidow]

85.  82 DeWitt vs. DeJesus for rights to 2B.

I have no problem with that.

[old dodger fan]

86.  I hate to be such a skeptic but does anyone think that Raffy might have failed the Braves physical and the Braves agreed to quietly back away and give him a shot at signing with the Dodgers?

[regfairfield]

88.  If Ivan DeJesus is as good as Furcal, it's a good problem to have.

Hell, if Furcal is healthy for all three of those years, it's a good problem to have.

[Bob Timmermann]

89.  72
It's a way of buying clothes now. You buy the jacket and pants and then for an additional five dollars, you can either buy a vest or get free alterations.

[Eric Stephen]

90.  86
Not a chance. Not even D4P is that skeptical.

OK, maybe he is.

[Eric Stephen]

91.  89
The Ohio State University, on the other hand, guarantees all vests for their coaches.

[fanerman]

92.  89 Thanks for clarifying.

[Jacob Burch]

93.  82 We were going to get a middle infield option somehow, and it wasn't going to be Furcal for two years. I'd take Furcal @ 3 (with DeJesus being a future 2B in all likelyhood anyhow) over O-Cab for....anything.

The Infield could be DeWitt-Furcal-DeJesus-First baseman not to be named, with CBlake doing OF or super-utility duties.

[bferb]

94.  86 It was reported that the Braves' doctors signed off on his back, so its not too likely he would otherwise fail the physical.

[Jacob Burch]

95.  89 91 This has to be the pun of the day combination. Will be hard to beat.

[Jon Weisman]

96.  The Flight of the Conchords Season Premiere is live:

http://tinyurl.com/57djjx

[Harold M Johnson]

97.  I believe Furcal always wanted to come back to the Dodgers and I hope he does, but nothing would surprise me. He might sign with the A's for all I know at this point.

[underdog]

98.  Bummer, I missed 87, whatever it was. Hope it was juicy!

I think it's less a physical than it was Furcal's hesitation about possibly having to play 2nd that may have soured him on Atlanta.

Also, I feel like Casey Blake will only be a starter for a year of the 2 yr contract. Following year I could see DeWitt moving to 3rd and DeJesus or Hu playing 2nd. For now, Hu can be the defensive specialist who spells Furcal, as noted above, and DeJesus can have another year of seasoning.

This also gives us a leadoff hitter who is not Juan Pierre (or Matt Kemp, who I love but would prefer batting 2, 3 or 5.)

[Tripon]

99.  82 Even if Furcal signs for three years, that doesn't block DeJesus because you can switch DeJesus, DeWitt, and Blake around. If anyone is getting screwed over here, its Hu.

[underdog]

100.  Or what Jacob said.

Darnit, I was just getting back to work when Jon had to post the Conchords link. Thanks a lot!

[OhioBlues12]

101.  94 - Maybe that is what got us to up our offer. I don't think we trust our doctors anymore.