Stirring the Pot: Rafael Furcal?

There's long been a "mystery team" involved in the running for Dodgers' free agent shortstop Rafael Furcal. While the A's still appear to be the front-runner, Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors believes the "mystery team" could be the Indians...or the Twins.

12 months ago Jesse 27 comments 0 recs |

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Jesse....

I think we crossed paths in the comments section on there.

I could definitely see it being us. Imagine if we got him AND Blake (we have the money for it) and still had all our other pieces!

That has the makings of a pretty sick lineup, assuming health.

by DJSkillz on Nov 26, 2008 12:14 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah we did...

I think the Twins make sense. It’d be an aggressive move for them, but depending on the length and amount (as usual), I think it’s a good idea.

by Jesse on Nov 26, 2008 12:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think it'd make sense

for us too. If they don’t think they can get someone like Hardy or Escobar via trade, then why not make a big splash at short? It’d show that they’re really trying to put a competitive team on the field.

I just want something to happen…

by Twins Territory on Nov 26, 2008 12:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Furcal

he would be a solid #1 or #2 hitter for all 162 games he would play over the life of his 4 year, $50 million contract!

by SethSpeaks on Nov 26, 2008 12:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

It's a lot of money...

…and if it’s a four-year deal, I’m afraid of his performance in the last year. He’s not exactly a young player. It’s not like the Twins to offer a long-term deal to a free agent like this, but stranger things have happened.

Still, he’d be a good shortstop and, hopefully, a healthy one.

by Jesse on Nov 26, 2008 12:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think his injury concerns are a little bit overblown....

Really, he’s only been badly injured this past season. Before that he was fairly durable overall.

by DJSkillz on Nov 26, 2008 12:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Last year...

he played in only 36 games. The year before that 138, which is still a good chunk.

But for the 5 previous years before that he averaged 153 games/season.

And he’s still just 31. There’s certainly SOME injury risk involved, but I think it’s much less than what the general consensus seems to be.

by DJSkillz on Nov 26, 2008 12:25 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

For me

it’s the injury risk, and his age at the end of the contract. I’m nervous about a 35-year old starting shortstop making $10 million or more.

by Jesse on Nov 26, 2008 12:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And I think

that is something the Twins have tended to stay away from as a small-market team. But with a new ballpark, and a young team that can compete, it’d be interesting to see them make a big splash with Blake and Furcal.

What would we do with the extra outfielder? Keep him?

by Twins Territory on Nov 26, 2008 1:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If they

can get away with it, yeah. By getting away with it, I mean the team is either comfortable with A) the signing of a 3B free agent or B) internal 3B options, and their bullpen status. Improvements without having to deal depth is probably ideal for them.

by Jesse on Nov 26, 2008 1:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yep...

plus you’d have immense ammo for a huge deadline deal if need be.

And you’d still have depth coming through the system on top of that (Swarzak, Mulvey, Valencia, etc.).

by DJSkillz on Nov 26, 2008 1:21 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I'd rather. . .

we get Hardy or Escobar but would be fine with this move. Don’t forget about Adrian Beltre either for 3B. If the Twins were to commit long term to Furcal I could see them going after Beltre so we wouldn’t have that situation at 3B. If as many teams are interested in Blake as it sounds like the Twins will end up paying too much for too long. I’m still not a fan of getting Blake, but if we got Furcal and Beltre, holy crap that’s a damn fine lineup offensively and defensively. Suddenly Morneau is the weakest defensive link in the infield. The only problem is that our pitchers ERA’s would drop so far we might not be able to afford them in a few years haha.

Beltre comes off the books in time to start paying arbitration to some players and to sign Mr. Mauer long term once again. Furcal’s contract is most likely 4 years for 50 million or so and would be off the books in time to hopefully sign Slowey and or Baker long term.

Peyton's good but have you ever heard of Jeff George?

by halfchest on Nov 26, 2008 1:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

That's an excellent point.....

We’d be WELL above average at every single defensive position save RF (Young or Cuddyer, Span to LF).

by DJSkillz on Nov 26, 2008 2:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I've been advocating Furcal since the season ended

and would love to see it happen. They have the money, with the low payroll in 2008, and the stadium coming; I’d like to see them get Beltre as well.

Everyone has risks, but he’s relatively young as free agents go, and while the injury is scary, it’s really the only year he’s been hurt. I assume the Twins know more about his health than I do.

by Eric in Madison on Nov 26, 2008 3:29 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

That would made one helluva lineup:

Span, CF
Furcal, SS
Mauer, C
Morneau, 1B
Beltre, 3B
Kubel, DH
Cuddyer, RF
Young, LF
Casilla, 2B

by Jesse on Nov 26, 2008 3:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yep....

Where do you see Gomez in that scenario though, Jesse?

by DJSkillz on Nov 26, 2008 4:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That's a hard decision to make.

I think you could rotate him in somehow, get him a couple starts a week by shifting other guys, but you don’t want to do too much of that. If it were up to me, and it isn’t, I might try him in Rochester for a couple months to see how he responds. He’s only going to be 23 this year, so a little time in triple-A wouldn’t kill him…he has a lot to learn.

by Jesse on Nov 26, 2008 4:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Dreaming

Even though I first suggested in this thread the more I think about it the more unlikely it becomes. If and it’s a big IF we sign Furcal I could see the Twins using the extra cap space to frontload the contract with a big bonus like the did with Morneau to keep him affordable later in the contract.

The only way I see it working is if we give up good enough players to get the Mariners to eat some of Beltre’s contract or else making Cuddyer a piece of the deal as well. I’m not a big fan of unloading any of our outfielders but if we could get Beltre and Furcal I’d be more than ok with losing Cuddyer.

Peyton's good but have you ever heard of Jeff George?

by halfchest on Nov 26, 2008 7:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I never said it was realistic.

I agree with you. It’s highly unlikely that the Twins land either Furcal OR Beltre, let alone both of them. But they would help to comprise a pretty good lineup on paper.

With Furcal and the Twins, it’s all just speculation at this point anyway. There may not even be a “mystery team.” And with Beltre, I haven’t heard rumors on either side of the ball on that one. For all intents and purposes, as far as third base is concerned the Twins are concentrating on Casey Blake anyway.

The Twins do need to do something with shortstop though, and something that doesn’t involve Khalil Greene.

by Jesse on Nov 27, 2008 2:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Pipe dream

Furcal has many suitors, and, according to Phil Miller of the Pioneer Press, the Twins are not one of them. What Furcal’s ultimate signing will do (I predict the Braves) is set the market for other players such as Casey Blake and open up an opportunity to acquire a younger, cheaper shortstop once the market is more settled.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Nov 28, 2008 11:17 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

This begs the question:

What do the Braves do with Y. Escobar?

by Jesse on Nov 28, 2008 3:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That's what I was hinting at

Trade him to the Twins for a couple of pitching prospects.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Nov 29, 2008 11:26 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

how about for cuddyer and perkins and a prospect?

everything Rays,Marlins,Twins and Reds

by RaysOfHope on Nov 30, 2008 2:07 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That seems like a lot

But the market for shortstops is really tough, so it might take that. I would offer Delmon and Perkins no prospect. My hunch is Delmon has more value to other teams than Cuddyer, whereas the opposite is true for the Twins.

Considering how tough the market is, it might be easier to acquire a second baseman such as Roberts and move Casilla to short.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Nov 30, 2008 1:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ya...

I’ve been thinking an awful lot about Brian Roberts still.

Perkins, Harris, Guerrier, and 1-2 prospects should be fairly enticing to Baltimore.

We’d still have an OF logjam though. Young for Beltre?

by DJSkillz on Dec 1, 2008 1:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Dreamy

That would be a dream. My hunch is if the Twins could pry Beltre away for Young straight up, they already would have. But according to several sources (most notably MLBTradeRumors) the Mariners are asking for a lot more than that, Like Baker and Young. That’s way too much for a one-year rental.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Dec 1, 2008 2:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs