He is 31 now, and coming off back surgery.

Perfect candidate for the Giants then.

A good 31 year old shortstop looking for a long term contract might be a nice acquisition for a team looking to contend next year.

So why is this article about the Giants and A's?

Jesus, Rafael Furcal is 31.
I feel oooooooooold.

"Sweepstakes" implies a prize and a winner.

Yeah, an above-average to very good SS. What a crap prize.

Who'll likely get injured...

When was the last time Furcal put up an above average season? I'll answer my own rhetorical question: 2006.

But, hey, if teams want to pay him like he didn't just miss 3/4's of a season (and suck the year before that), who am I to judge?

"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."

In other words, the Giants middle infield next year will be Renteria/Burris.

"The White Sox aren't ruling out that their newest Cuban signee, 19-year-old slugger Dayan Viciedo, could contribute next season, possibly at third base. But they will allow Viciedo to develop at his own pace, just as they did with Alexei Ramirez, who finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year balloting at age 26 last season."

What? A 19-year-old Cuban might contribute to the Sox next year?

Jesus, Rafael Furcal is 31.
I feel oooooooooold.

Recall that we originally thought he was 2 years younger.

Can we dig out the Jayson Stark articles "And he's only 19!"?

Would you trade for a pitcher who has averaged 13 wins, 192 innings and a 4.59 ERA in the National League over the past five seasons? Say hello to Cubs right-hander Jason Marquis, who will be entering the final year of his contract, valued at $9.875 million. That number likely would scare off many clubs, but Marquis would become more attractive if the Cubs included enough cash to bring another team's obligation down to say, $7 million. ...

Excellent.

I am surprised the Cardinals aren't mentioned WRT Furcal. I suspect Renteria will land in StL.

Yeah, I'd be like "$10 million for Jason Marquis!?! No way!!!" But then if it was $7 mil, I'd be like "Oh, which of my top prospects do you want?"

This whole Tex/Lowell business is getting goofy. If Lowell is healthy, plug him in and forget Tex. Go get CC.

The unknown for me in the Tex/Lowell scenario is how much Youkilis would wear down playing a full season at 3B as opposed to 1B. Perhaps not at all, but I don't think you can just move him across the diamond and expect the same production. Given that, I'm not sure that the production over a full year of Tex at 1B & Youkilis at 3B is markedly above that of Youkilis at 1B and Lowell at 3B (assuming Lowell is healthy).

Of course it's the "(assuming Lowell is healthy)" part that the Red Sox probably are a bit skittish about, but the fallback here would be that Anderson is the 1B in 2010, right? I wouldn't consider staying the course to be punting 2009, but I suppose some might.

And the interest in Lowe is kind of odd to me. I understand maybe not wanting to have a rotation slot for a kid be written in stone after the Buchholz hiccup in 2008, but Lowe wouldn't be a 1-year fix, he'd be a 3-year fix based on the contract (at least; possibly 4), and with Wakefield set in stone as starter #5 because of the C thing, all of a sudden there's no place for any of the Buchholz/Bowden/Masterson group to go except Pawtucket, the bullpen, or in a deal for a C.

I also thought Lowe sort of left on bad terms; why would either side be interesting in going back down that road? Of course, if Lowe or Boras have any brains at all, they'd stay the hell away from the Yankees, who have an infield defense that is sub-optimal for a guy like Lowe...

I also thought Lowe sort of left on bad terms; why would either side be interesting in going back down that road?

Lowe didn't really have anything against the club when he left, as evidenced by his remarks to Varitek when the club received its championship rings (and he was wearing his Sox jersey despite being a member of the Dodgers at the time).

Lowe, who flew in from Arizona on an off day, said, "Standing next to Jason (Varitek), I said, 'You're lucky to get to play here the next four years.' "

Whatever issues he had stemmed more from his rocky personal life and his generally crappy pitching the previous two years than anything else, but there wasn't any ill will that I've been told is a requirement upon an athlete's exit from Boston.

I dont care if its a 25 year old A-Rod as a free agent, can we please stop using the word 'sweepstakes' for baseball free agents every off-season.

and dont get me started on 'hot stove'

i guess i'm annoyed by weird things

Recall that we originally thought he was 2 years younger.

Yeah, when he aged 2 years in one day, it really can make one feel old.

When was the last time Furcal put up an above average season? I'll answer my own rhetorical question: 2006.

That was also the only poor season he had in the majors since the second year of his career.
Trying to paint Furcal as some bum is just more stupid snark.

He was suffering from an ankle injury in 2007, that he'd sustained in spring training, and which never fully healed. On the one hand, that explains his sub-par season - otoh, it's a data point about him maybe not being able to stay healthy as he gets older, since it took so long to heal.