Furcal Close To Deciding Between Braves, Dodgers

11:40pm: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says a Braves person said Furcal had a "gentleman’s agreement" with the team.  Talks continued with the Dodgers nonetheless.

7:00pm: Matthew Leach is reporting that the Royals are no longer pursuing Furcal. Leach says the Royals were unable to fit Furcal’s demands into the payroll. Dayton Moore added that if the Royals are to add a player at this point, the team "would have to subtract [someone] because of where [the Royals] are financially." We previously heard that the Royals were one of four teams Furcal was considering offers from.

4:43pm: Tim Brown explains that while some Braves people believed they had a deal with Furcal, Kinzer and Arn Tellem are still talking to the Dodgers.  The Braves probably aren’t terribly amused with the agents.

3:13pm: Ned Colletti says he’s still talking to Kinzer about Furcal, while Yahoo’s Tim Brown talks about the Dodgers and A’s shifting their focus to Orlando Cabrera.

1:00pm: Furcal’s agent Paul Kinzer says there’s no agreement yet.  He says that if Furcal chose right now, it’d be Atlanta.  Jerry Crasnick says it’d be a three-year, $30MM deal with a fourth-year vesting option.  However, Kinzer will call the Dodgers today to give them a final chance to sign Furcal.  Furcal will probably accept an offer today, and it’ll be the Braves or Dodgers. 

10:51am: MLB.com’s Mark Bowman says the Braves have no intention of trading Johnson or Escobar – they are moving Johnson back to left field.  Bowman believes Furcal will play second base.

9:42am: Crasnick now says the Braves have a preliminary agreement with Furcal.  Dave O’Brien thinks the signing points to an Escobar trade.

8:35am: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick has a source saying no agreement has been reached, but the Braves are confident and interest is mutual.

7:50am: According to Ken Rosenthal, shortstop Rafael Furcal has reached an agreement with the Braves.  He came up with Atlanta, of course.  Furcal just needs to pass a physical.  Rosenthal believes the Braves offered three years with a fourth-year vesting option, and Furcal chose that over Oakland’s guaranteed four years.

Now we’re left to wonder what happens with Yunel Escobar and Kelly Johnson.  Dave O’Brien notes that the Braves have inquired on young starters such as Zack Greinke and Paul Maholm.  Danny Knobler says the Braves will likely put Furcal at second base and Johnson in left field.