Furcal Should Run to the Athletics

I'm not sure what is more surprising, that Rafael Furcal has not jumped at the Athletics rumored offer of 4 years/$40 million or that the normally cheap Athletics are offering Furcal the big money.

This will be the best offer that Furcal, 31, receives on the open market. Think about it: it has been reported that Furcal had four strong suitors-A's, Blue Jays, Royals, and the Dodgers. But where exactly are the big bucks going to come from if it is not the Athletics.

It won't be the Blue Jays, who are not currently looking to add to their payroll

It won't be the Royals, who would need to cut payroll (i.e trade Jose Guillen) before they could add to their payroll and make a serious run at Furcal.

It won't be the Dodgers, who are currently waiting out the Manny Ramirez sweepstakes, hoping that he will take their $20+ million a year offer. They could jump in later, but I doubt they will come close to what the Athletics are offering, especially if they sign Manny.

This deal makes so much sense for both sides. Furcal would get the big time contract that he has been craving even after missing most of 2008 with a lower back injury. For the Athletics, they would have a spark plug at the top of their order to set the table for Matt Holliday and Jack Cust.

Interestingly enough, this deal would be change from the moneyball philosophy that the Athletics have built their teams around in the past. While Furcal will draw some walks, hit with some power, and produce a good OBP, Furcal is known for his speed and his ability to steal bases. Speed is something that the Athletics normally do not pay big money for, but there is no doubt that Furcal would be a major upgrade to the Athletics lineup.

If Rafael Furcal thinks that he can do better than 4 years/$40 mil on the open market, then he's crazy. The market is just not there right now for Furcal, but he should feel fortunate to have a $40 million dollar offer on the table. Not accepting it would be foolish.