Sign Furcal. Make the Dodgers unhappy.
So, Rafael Furcal is neither a Type A nor B free agent. This is awesome. We can sign him to a deal without giving up a draft pick, solve an area of need, and steal him from the Bums. Where do we sign up?
BTW, this might be the best shopping strategy of all -- signing free agents out of spite. Forget analyzing OBP, WHIP, HB/IP, or whatever. We should quantify how much signing a free agent away from another team pisses them off. That would make me smile.
This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.
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It should also make Giants fans unhappy. No thanks.
Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever's happened, it's like I've landed on a different planet. Now, maybe if I can work out the reason, I can get home.
I'd be open to it if it was
2 years $20 million (just a guess, but I’m thinking $10 million is probably a reasonable # so long as it’s not my money) or 3 years $27 million would probably get it done, and not break the bank. I’d be much happier if he signed for $4-6 million a year but hey like I said, it’s not my money.
Down in Front Meat!
by homerdrew415 on Oct 30, 2008 9:21 AM PDT up reply actions
Two keys
The keys to signing Rafael would be health (including likely longevity, since he would make a more important difference a few years down the road than in 2009) and money. If the ratio were highly favorable, I could see doing it.
Aside from hopefully finding some inexpensive relief pitchers, I think the Giants should sign a free agent only if the player is a potential impact player. Furcal has been that at times — when he was healthy.
I'm sorry..
We cannot return anything for spite.
No, I’m sorry sir, you already said for spite so…*shrugs *
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
I had a lucid, well-detailed argument as to why this is a bad idea
But I threw my back out during the posting process.
by Lars The Wanderer on Oct 30, 2008 7:39 AM PDT reply actions
that’d be my guess. He missed a ton fo games over the past two years
by NeifiChicken on Oct 30, 2008 10:09 AM PDT up reply actions
I think we tried this already
See: Dave Roberts, Mark Sweeney, Ryan Klesko, and Bruce Bochy
However, you get an E for effort. How about we sign Randy Johnson and have him get #300 in a giants uniform? That would be funny.
Brought to mind this:

Sergio Romo will gladly hand you a bench to sit on / GIANTSPACE™ / Adopted brother of the AnVil
by SoFa King Mike on Oct 30, 2008 9:15 AM PDT up reply actions
Furcal '09,'10,'11 = Roberts '07, '08,'09 ?
I find you logic irrefutable.
Ivan Ochoa - Heir to the legacy of Rob Andrews & Rikkert Faneyte!
Let's see spread Chaos, Confusion and Anarchy here? Check. My work is complete. I’ll be moving on now.
*tear*
Poor limpy the bear. Local legend..had to be shot.
Free banning of a member’s choice if they know who limpy is.
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
I don't know who limpy is
but I tried to google him and the web filter here at work said no on account of “Adult content”
Giants! Giants! HELP US GOD!
Wow
Limpy isn’t online. Amazing, I think we just found what breaks the internets.
Limpy was a bear that lived near Whitney Portal. He had hurt his paw breaking into a car earlier in the year when my dad and I tried to hike Mt. Whitney, and was inquisitive. He came by our campsite a few times. The following year we heard he had to be shot because he was getting too agressive towards food and humans.. There were millions of RIP Limpy posts on the Whitney Portal message board.
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
Have the actual rankings been released yet?
I don’t see them anywhere.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
The official rankings aren’t out yet.
#1 JUDY STEFFES FAN
My favorite pie is (name of pie flavor)
Bay City Ball
Thanks. That's what I thought
Since last year’s rankings were released on the 31st of October.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

Sergio Romo will gladly hand you a bench to sit on / GIANTSPACE™ / Adopted brother of the AnVil
by SoFa King Mike on Oct 30, 2008 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions
< toilet_joke> Insert joke here < /toilet_joke>
They say some players get out of bed hitting; Pablo Sandoval doesn't wait that long
Here’s the thing about Furcal: I’m not that thrilled about signing him because of his injury issues last year. If he was healthy, he might be more intriguing – but he’d also cost more. So basically, I wouldn’t want to sign him either way.
Signing guys out of spite is about as clever as signing guys because they always play well against your team – which the Giants favored for a while in the mid-90s. Worked out really well when they signed Terry Mulholland and Mark Portugal, eh?
What man? Which man? Who’s the man? When’s a man a man? What makes a man a man? Am I a man? Yes. Technically I am. - FotC
Enter out big FA splash next season....
by NeifiChicken on Oct 30, 2008 10:31 AM PDT up reply actions
I’m pretty sure I would mind.
Rafael Rodriguez: He likes the way Snrub thinks!
by BrianBokake on Oct 30, 2008 11:31 AM PDT up reply actions
Ah yes, the Mark Portugal Syndrome
Thankfully the Giants brass moved past that [coughSteveFinleycough] tendency.
Anagram of "Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum" = TENSE, CLIMACTIC, TRIUMPHING
by Stuttering John Tamargo on Oct 30, 2008 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions
That’s the paradox of almost all free agents, isn’t it? If they’re young and healthy, they cost too much. If they’re older or less healthy, you don’t want them.
The reason to target a player like Furcal is that when your team sucks, as ours does, the risk/reward assessment changes. If you sign him to a three-year contract and he can’t play, well, you’ve lost some spending money for seasons in which you’re not expecting to contend anyway, but you haven’t hamstrung your team in some long-term Zitoesque way. But if he stays healthy and plays up to his career levels, you’ve gotten a huge bargain, pushing you to possible ahead-of-schedule contention, or at worst giving you some valuable trade bait.
Add in that you’re not giving up a draft pick and that he wouldn’t be blocking anyone of consequence, and to me it’s a no-brainer.
The problem is
even if he lives up to career levels, that’s only Rich Aurilia-level. Better defense, yes, but I don’t see any way Rich Aurilia at $10 million per year is anywhere near “a huge bargain”.
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Oct 30, 2008 1:30 PM PDT up reply actions
I can’t quite get my mind around the Aurilia comparison, since they’re so different, but Furcal’s career line of .286/.352/.412 is way above average for a shortstop, and his glove is pretty good as well. He’s a 3-4 win above replacement player, which is worth $15-20 million on the free agent market. Somewhere in there.
Career #'s
Furcal: .286/.352/.412 12 HRs, 59 RBI
Aurilia: .277/.330/.437 19 HRs, 75 RBI
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Oct 30, 2008 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Except Aurilia is a bad 3B/1B and Furcal is a good SS. That’s a huge difference.
..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.
Aurilia was at SS most of his career, though.
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Oct 30, 2008 4:00 PM PDT up reply actions
if you want
we can take only Aurilia’s SS days into effect. That would close the gap even more on career Aurilia = career Furcal.
And just to clarify, I’m not saying we go with Aurilia instead of Furcal in 2009. I’m saying no to both :)
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Oct 30, 2008 4:02 PM PDT up reply actions
are you saying Richie is slow?
how DAAAAAAARE you!
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Oct 30, 2008 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions
A bad SS
Defense at SS is really important.
..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.
Agreed
but is it worth an extra $5 – $10 million just for the defensive upgrade?
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
by UnleashTheGore on Oct 31, 2008 7:10 AM PDT up reply actions
Probably. Say Furcal saves 10 runs over the course of a season compared to Aurilia — that’s roughly the difference between a slightly above average SS and a slightly below average SS. At free-agent rates, that’s worth about $5 million.
If we’re comparing Furcal to Aurilia today rather than Aurilia 2001, then the difference is probably much greater than 10 runs.
I would make a move
for Furcal. I mean, he would be blocking Emmanual Burriss? Whatcha takin’ about, Willis!!!
I was luke warm on him when I thought we would have to give a pick up… now I think he’s the key move of the off season.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN
I don’t know that he’s a key move by himself, because you’re not getting anywhere unless you add good players at least a couple more positions. But current team + Furcal + Beltre + decent fourth starter = plausible contender.
This is pretty much word for word the offseason suggestions I made for the A's
I think it could turn them into possible contenders as well.
Can't get enough of the Oakland A's or Golden State Warriors? Visit Oaktown Awesomer's and Golden Stat Hoops
by iamawesomer on Oct 30, 2008 12:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Oh yeah the 4th starter they should be looking to get would be Randy Johnson
Who’s actually much better than a 4th starter but probably won’t be paid as such.
Can't get enough of the Oakland A's or Golden State Warriors? Visit Oaktown Awesomer's and Golden Stat Hoops
by iamawesomer on Oct 30, 2008 12:40 PM PDT up reply actions
Randy won't come here...
Maybe Maddux would?
by NeifiChicken on Oct 30, 2008 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions
Clearly you're smoking better stuff than I am
Down in Front Meat!
by homerdrew415 on Oct 30, 2008 2:18 PM PDT up reply actions
I agree with this kicking Martin in the nuts strategy.
by Lars The Wanderer on Oct 30, 2008 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions
Kicking R. Martin & J. Loney in the nuts '08
A political party & platform we can all get behind!
/Anyone want to start on the photoshop now? I’ll start by supplying the base photo

Down in Front Meat!
by homerdrew415 on Oct 30, 2008 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions
Don't think the union would approve
They’d need to revise their collective nut-kicking agreement.
Anagram of "Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum" = TENSE, CLIMACTIC, TRIUMPHING
by Stuttering John Tamargo on Oct 30, 2008 11:15 AM PDT up reply actions
We can trade off; the Dodgers can kick Aaron Rowand in the nuts in return.
by satyricrash on Oct 30, 2008 12:48 PM PDT up reply actions
+1
"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Oct 30, 2008 12:44 PM PDT up reply actions
I’m trying to find out if Rusty the Robot is an anagram for something
Brad Hennessey: the next Kevin Correia
Kevin Correia: the next Brad Hennessey
Throbs Ye Tutor
Sergio Romo will gladly hand you a bench to sit on / GIANTSPACE™ / Adopted brother of the AnVil
by SoFa King Mike on Oct 30, 2008 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions
First year Pacbell failure. Sigh.
Speaking of fail. I can’t even create a proper reply to a reply.
by Rusty the Robot on Oct 30, 2008 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions
After the first year
He was SHOT BY TORTURE.
Anagram of "Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum" = TENSE, CLIMACTIC, TRIUMPHING
by Stuttering John Tamargo on Oct 30, 2008 11:56 AM PDT up reply actions
Bursty Tot Hero
Greetings, Marklar! I am Marklar! This is Marklar.
Rusty teh Robot
Dodgers fans eat their young.
by redhornet78 on Oct 30, 2008 12:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Thrust Her Booty
..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.
win
Sergio Romo will gladly hand you a bench to sit on / GIANTSPACE™ / Adopted brother of the AnVil
by SoFa King Mike on Oct 30, 2008 1:16 PM PDT up reply actions
FAIL
One too many H’s.
Perhaps TRUST HER BOOTY?
Anagram of "Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum" = TENSE, CLIMACTIC, TRIUMPHING
by Stuttering John Tamargo on Oct 30, 2008 1:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Hips don’t lie
Sergio Romo will gladly hand you a bench to sit on / GIANTSPACE™ / Adopted brother of the AnVil
by SoFa King Mike on Oct 30, 2008 2:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, I know
But it was just too perfect.
..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.
He will stay with the Dodgers
Agent Ned has stated that re-signing Furcal “is a priority”.
by Lars The Wanderer on Oct 30, 2008 12:25 PM PDT reply actions
can we just run up the price and be relieved when he gets hurt?
what do the dodgers do if they don’t sign furcal? i wonder how many runs created/saved we’d be taking away from the dodgers and adding to the giants with a signing like this. if they flail a little and the giants actually compete it could be the difference between a title and an early shower. but i’d rather have someone who plays baseball more often.
Brian Sabean figures that if he buys enough bottles, one of them is bound to have lightning in it.

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