The Rafael Furcal sweepstakes, accelerating at a rapid pace, appears to be shaping up as a Bay Area showdown between the A's and Giants.
"It's moving pretty fast," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti told FOXSports.com on Friday. "I don't know if we're going to be in it or not."
The Dodgers want to retain Furcal, who is a favorite of manager Joe Torre, but might be reluctant to meet the player's desire for a four-year contract.
A team's willingness to offer Furcal a fourth year likely will be the difference-maker in the negotiations, major-league sources say.
When the Dodgers signed Furcal prior to the 2006 season, they gave him three years and $39 million. He is 31 now, and coming off back surgery.
Both the A's and Giants were satisfied by what they saw in Furcal's medical records, sources say.
Both teams also might want to move sooner rather than later on Furcal, fearing that a delay could draw the Braves and Cubs into the negotiations.
The Braves would pursue Furcal only if they traded shortstop Yunel Escobar to the Padres in a package for right-hander Jake Peavy; those talks currently are dormant, but many in the industry expect them to revive.
The Cubs, too, are interested in Furcal, but after re-signing free-agent right-hander Ryan Dempster to a four-year, $52 million contract, they probably could not invest heavily in another player until after the team is sold. Bidders have until Dec. 1 to submit offers, Major League Baseball officials said this week.
The A's, lacking a long-term internal solution at shortstop, would use Furcal as their leadoff man in a revamped offense anchored by their newest trade acquisition, left fielder Matt Holliday.
The Giants' projected shortstop, Emmanuel Burris, 23, could move to second base if the team signed Furcal. The Giants also are negotiating with another free-agent shortstop, Edgar Renteria, according to MLB.com — and competing with the rival Dodgers for perhaps the biggest free-agent prize, left-hander CC Sabathia.
If the Dodgers lost Furcal, they could turn their attention to Renteria or Orlando Cabrera, the latter of whom they discussed acquiring in a trade last summer.The team also is trying to re-sign left fielder Manny Ramirez and third baseman Casey Blake, and is expected to make an offer for Sabathia shortly.
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