Furcal in center?

[38Special]

http://msn.foxsports.com/story/5070298

Free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman asked one of Furcal's representatives if Furcal would be willing to play center. Furcal, 28, likely will rule nothing out at this early stage of free agency — he routinely shags fly balls with Braves teammate Andruw Jones and jokes about replacing him in center. He not only is athletic enough to play the position, but also could bat leadoff for the Yankees, forming a dynamic 1-2 combination with Derek Jeter.

Even if the Yankees aren't completely serious — and when are they not? — the high demand for Furcal almost certainly will enable him to land a five-year contract and possibly a six-year deal.

[NYDCYankee]

Intriguing. It fills two holes.

[38Special]

His OBP leaves something to be desired for a leadoff man

[NYDCYankee]

His OBP leaves something to be desired for a leadoff man

Ok but what about in the 2 hole. Leave Jeter at leadoff, it still extends the lineup.

[noneckwilliams]

i like furcal alot but it looks like he's aiming for at least a 5 year committment which is too long.

[JDPNYY]

If they sign Furcal for CF they will be moving one step closer to my suggestion of having a SS at every position.

[destro]

why not put jeter in cf?

[ReggieBar]

Furcal is a nice player, a pure SS and not a fit for the Yankees. I am not a fan of the SS to CF conversion.

[ieddyi]

Jeter to CF, Arod to SS, Nomah to 3rd....


BRILLIANT!!!

[Seamonk]

It worked for Juan Samuel.




Oh, wait...

[YankeeStripes]

why not put jeter in cf?

HAHAHA oh no!

[shroud]

This reeks of tampa decision making...

[Snatch Catch]

This reeks of tampa decision making...

Except for the fact that the article says that Cashman contacted Furcal's representation.

Furcal would be among the league leaders in assists if this shift occured.

[wileedog]

i like furcal alot but it looks like he's aiming for at least a 5 year committment which is too long.

I don't have have problem with a 5 year deal for a 27 year old. Especially if we can negotiate it down to a 4 year deal with an option.

Its not the worst idea we've heard trying to fill this spot...

[YankeeStripes]

Let's analyze this move (which I like):

Furcal: PROS
Great speed (46 steals, 10 caught stealing)
GREAT arm (something the yankees need)
Has postseason experience (and lots of it)
is young (28...meaning he can still improve)
Is a solid switch-hitter (.284 last season, and increasing run production)

Furcal Negatives:
Will require a long contract
ATL is NOT New York
CF in Yankee Stadium is a tough place to learn-on-the-job
OBP could be higher, but may impove with age/better lineup.
has never played in the american league, and will be facing new pitchers, for the most part.


Overall, I would love to see this happen, but how realistic is it? I dotn know

[ShaneTravis]

Rafael 2005 .284 .348 .429 .777

Yanks' CF 2005 .243 .297 .333 .630

Would RF consider playing CF? He is considered one of the top ss in the Majors. I would imagine he would have to be compensated with a longer deal or more money to consider the switch.

Scouting per ESPN
Baserunning & Defense

Furcal possesses as much range as any shortstop in the game. The trouble comes when he tries to use the cannon attached to his right shoulder to make impossible plays. Wild throws have led to poor fielding percentages and 24 errors last season. Furcal is one of the fastest baserunners in the game. He has learned the art of stealing bases, succeeding on 29 of his 35 attempts last year.

[ojo]

i'd take furcal in CF over any current 'option'....wilkerson is nice, but furcal is one of those players on the cusp of greatness.

and if you can play SS at the level he plays it, you can learn CF..

[MTYankee23]

This reeks of tampa decision making...

I can't see how this reeks of Tampa anything. Tampa decision making would be dropping 5 years on Damon because he's a "warrior" who has beaten us in October.

This is a very intriguing scenario, and I like the fact that Cashman is beginning to think outside of the box (or at least getting the control to think outside of the box). If you believe that ARod to 3B was Cashman's idea, than this could work out very similarly. It also provides an extreme amount of flexibility. If Furcal is willing to move to 2B, I can imagine that he'd accept CF for the Yankees, one of the prestige positions in all of sports.

[wileedog]

and if you can play SS at the level he plays it, you can learn CF..

I'm not a big fan of signing a guy and drastically moving his position, hoping he can play it.

Furcal is one of those guys who I would absolutely make an exception for.

[DJ27]

Intriguing. It fills two holes.

I agree... and it seems like the best option we have as of right now. I'm for it!
P.S. Doesn't he have "baggage" too??

[ICEBERG18]

Not a bad idea at all.

[MTYankee23]

I'm not a big fan of signing a guy and drastically moving his position, hoping he can play it.

Furcal is one of those guys who I would absolutely make an exception for.

And remember the old baseball addage, its much easier to move players "out" IF to OF, than it is the other way around. Furcal's makeup would lead me to believe that he is a candidate for this.

[38Special]

In case anyone is unsure, Furcal has an incredible arm.

[gdn]

It certainly is an interesting idea. While his OBP and AVG would be a significant upgrade over what he had in CF. Is it enough for a #1 or #2 hitter? A .348 OBP isn't ALL bad. We should expect a small decline in numbers for the transition to the AL - new pitchers, new parks, etc.

Obviously, most important is whether the whole package of defensive and offensive abilities is a good fit for the Yankees and Yankee Stadium.

[Kulish29]

Thinking outside the box. I like it. But he'll probably be wanting too much money.

[DJ27]

Thinking outside the box. I like it. But he'll probably be wanting too much money.

Rather overspend (since it's not my money ) cash than prospects though. Hope it works out!

[ojo]

he's a top of the order guy who probably immediately lowers the staff ERA by 1/3 of a run. in other words, he's probably worth the $ he asks for, if anybody ever is...

[PittsburghYankeeFan]

Jeter to CF, Arod to SS, Nomah to 3rd....


BRILLIANT!!!

Drink some more Guiness, and it will seem even better....

[apolansk]

If they sign Furcal for CF they will be moving one step closer to my suggestion of having a SS at every position.

Must sign Nomar. Must make him 2B. Must complete JDPNYY's prophecy.

[gamesix1977]

Intriguing idea

[THEBOSS84]

I agree... and it seems like the best option we have as of right now. I'm for it!
P.S. Doesn't he have "baggage" too??

I beleive he got nailed for DWI or DUI last year...not the biggest deal in the wolrd.

[PittsburghYankeeFan]

Thinking outside the box. I like it. But he'll probably be wanting too much money.

Too much money, too long a contract.

Although Heyman says he is "poison," Milton Bradley may be the one (costs little in trade, costs relatively little in a 1 year deal to see if he behaves himself).

[Blaze]

why not put jeter in cf?

Dude, what are you smoking?

[Yankeeah]

I like it, but, I don't want to give a 5 year deal to someone who has never played CF before. What if he sucks at CF? We're stuck with him for 5 years.

[Yanks Lifer]

Not a bad idea at all.

Here here!

[IronCaballo4]

Well....if he somehow shows he's capable of playing OF, then it's at least worth looking into

[Yanks Lifer]

I can't see how this reeks of Tampa anything. Tampa decision making would be dropping 5 years on Damon because he's a "warrior" who has beaten us in October.

This is a very intriguing scenario, and I like the fact that Cashman is beginning to think outside of the box (or at least getting the control to think outside of the box). If you believe that ARod to 3B was Cashman's idea, than this could work out very similarly. It also provides an extreme amount of flexibility. If Furcal is willing to move to 2B, I can imagine that he'd accept CF for the Yankees, one of the prestige positions in all of sports.

I think you hit the nail on the head in saying Cash is thinking out of the box. Tampa factions would simply fill the need by overpaying a subpar or past his prime player who already plays at the position in question.

If Furcal is willing to do this, I too think it is the best option (5 years or not) followed by Wilkerson then Bradley as a last resort. I've seen a "Bobby Abreu is available" rumor too. While a great player who would fit in nicely, he would (and rightfully so) cost too much.

[DontHateOnNumber2]

Let's analyze this move (which I like):

Furcal: PROS
Great speed (46 steals, 10 caught stealing)
GREAT arm (something the yankees need)
Has postseason experience (and lots of it)
is young (28...meaning he can still improve)
Is a solid switch-hitter (.284 last season, and increasing run production)

Furcal Negatives:
Will require a long contract
ATL is NOT New York
CF in Yankee Stadium is a tough place to learn-on-the-job
OBP could be higher, but may impove with age/better lineup.
has never played in the american league, and will be facing new pitchers, for the most part.


Overall, I would love to see this happen, but how realistic is it? I dotn know

I think what sticks out the most is the "long contract" part. The Yankees have reallt taken a hit in the past few years because of huge, long-term deals. If this goes through then Furcal better play like Furcal, and not Tony Womack.

[nyyanksfan20]

I like this idea, but I wonder how much we would have to overpay to get furcal to play center.

[DJ27]

I like this idea, but I wonder how much we would have to overpay to get furcal to play center.

I think using the "Yankee CF prestige" play should make up for that if he has any ego at all.

[RhodyYanksFan]

I like this idea, but I wonder how much we would have to overpay to get furcal to play center.

I bet he'd demand 5/55 from us to switch positions. No way.

[DJ27]

I bet he'd demand 5/55 from us to switch positions. No way.

Come back with a 5/35-40 and the opportunity to play one of the most vaunted positions in all of sports (CF for the Yankees).

[vin777b]

yes way.

[gdn]

I do think 5 years might be a bit much. The Yankees need to stop giving long-term contracts. 3-4 years is fair.

[Yankeeah]

Come back with a 5/35-40 and the opportunity to play one of the most vaunted positions in all of sports (CF for the Yankees).

Agreed, if he rejects, then we'll look deeper into other options. When can we have talks with him, Nov. 15?

[Ghost of Dan Pasqua]

This also could simply be a case, somewhat like the Pedro meeting in Tampa last year (though not as high profile), in that the two sides are using each other...but might actually be able to work something out if it made sense. Furcal has no reason to blow off the Yankees. The first rule for any free agent on the market is to get the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, or Dodgers interested in you. Once that happens, your price goes up. Furcal already had the Mets interested, this just helps him more. As for the Yankees, this is another option to solve the centerfield problem and gives them more leverage with another team as they explore a trade, or God forbid, get someone like Damon to drop his demands to sign (which I hope doesn't happen, I don't want him). I still am going to go and say that Soriano will be their centerfielder when this is all said and done.

[rhodehead]

I like this line of thinking, very creative. And we would not be stuck with Furcal if he totally bombed as a CF.

I think he would move to 2b, with Cano getting dealt for a proven CF. Perhaps that is what Cashman is thinking. Sign him, let him play CF. If he sucks, move him to 2b (also a new position, but could be an easier transition) and Cano will be able to land us a very good CF...While i wouldn't want to trade Cano away, it is an ejector seat option if we landed Furcal.

Of course, money and length of a deal could turn me off, but it sounds good so far...

[BroadwayBomber55]

So, is this the Yankee plan to revamp the outfield defense with speed, athleticism, good reads, and strong and accurate throwing arms?

Sign Rafael Furcal and put him in CF, sign Jacque Jones or Brian S. Giles and put him in RF, re-sign Godzilla and keep him at LF, and put Sheff in DH?

[indianyanksfan]

So, is this the Yankee plan to revamp the outfield defense with speed, athleticism, good reads, and strong and accurate throwing arms?

Sign Rafael Furcal and put him in CF, sign Jacque Jones or Brian S. Giles and put him in RF, re-sign Godzilla and keep him at LF, and put Sheff in DH?

i really wouldnt mind that except i'd rather have giles than jones.

[wileedog]

I still am going to go and say that Soriano will be their centerfielder when this is all said and done.

I'd rather start Bubba then trade for Sori and stick him in CF.

Seriously.