Furcal, Braves tentatively agree to multi-year contract

The Braves appear on the verge of bringing back shortstop Rafael Furcal, a move that would likely send Kelly Johnson to the outfield if he’s not traded.

Two people familiar with the situation confirmed Furcal, a free agent and former Braves All-Star, tentatively agreed to a three-year contract that could be finalized after he takes a physical Wednesday in Atlanta.

Agent Paul Kinzer, however, notified the Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday that they weren’t out of the bidding and gave the Dodgers a chance to surpass Atlanta’s three-year offer, believed to be worth about $30 million plus a vesting fourth-year option.

The Dodgers had offered two years with a vesting option, and general manager Ned Colletti gave indications that might be his limit for guaranteed years.

Furcal, 31, missed much of the 2008 season with the Dodgers due to lower-back problems that required surgery in July. He played only 36 games, which undoubtedly cost him millions on the free-agent market.

The Braves’ late swoop-in move was a surprise around baseball, since Atlanta had not been mentioned by a Kinzer as a finalist for his switch-hitting client. Oakland reportedly made the biggest offer (four years, $40 million), but Furcal preferred a return to Atlanta or Los Angeles, two cities where he has homes.

When news spread about his likely return to Atlanta, it seemed the move must be a precursor for a trade of Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar or second baseman Johnson for a top-shelf starting pitcher.

Escobar was a centerpiece in the offer the Braves made to San Diego for 2007 Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy before those talks stalled in November, and immediate speculation was that those talks would be revived.

But a person familiar with the situation insisted the Braves planned to use Furcal and Escobar as their middle-infield duo and move Johnson to left field.

Still, there will persist rumors that another trade could come, at least until Braves GM Frank Wren addresses the situation if and when the Braves land Furcal.

Braves officials had no comment on the Furcal and said no news conference was scheduled. Furcal was still in the Dominican Republic and not expected to take a physical until Wednesday or Thursday.

Furcal has played one game at second base in the past six years; Escobar played 21 games there as a rookie in 2007. Escobar, 25, could stay at shortstop if the Braves believe it might reduce stress on Furcal’s back to move to second base, since some throws are more difficult and required range greater at short.

On the other hand, Furcal and the Braves may determine that avoiding baserunners on double-play pivots could make second base harder on his back.

Escobar and Furcal are two of baseball’s strongest-armed infielders, and their athleticism has the makings of a dynamic double-play duo in whatever form.

Moving Johnson to left field would provide an upgrade at a position the Braves have not been able to fortify from outside the organization this winter. He played the outfield before switching to second base after the 2006 season.

Furcal is a former Braves fan-favorite star who played six seasons in Atlanta and kept his home in the city’s northern suburbs. He should be the consistent leadoff hitter the Braves lacked since he left after the 2005 season.

That is, if his back holds up.

The Braves, after winning 14 consecutive division titles through 2005, haven’t been to the postseason since Furcal left. He has a .286 career average and .352 on-base percentage with 83 homers, 418 RBIs and 259 stolen bases in 1,150 games.

He played sparingly in 2008, but shone when he did — a .357 average with 19 extra-base hits including five homers, 16 RBI and eight stolen bases. He played in the Dodgers’ first 32 games, but not again until the season’s final week.

The Dodgers were 18-14 with Furcal in those first 32 games, then lost five of six games and 24 of the next 37 with him out of the lineup.

He had July 3 microdiscectomy surgery on his back, the primary reason the Dodgers didn’t offer another deal as lucrative as the three-year, $39 million contract they gave him when he left Atlanta.

Furcal came off the disabled list in the season’s final week and hit .258 with a homer, three RBIs and four errors in eight postseason games. He had three errors in an NLCS Game 5 loss to Philadelphia, but said he woke with a stiff neck that morning and that the errors and neck pain were unrelated to his back.

The Braves apparently entered the Furcal sweepstakes at last week’s Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, but had not been identified as one of four finalists.

Furcal, a 2000 NL Rookie of the Year, always had an affinity and great respect for manager Bobby Cox, who he saw as a father figure. Cox and the Braves stood by Furcal through rough times, including a DUI arrest before the 2004 playoffs.

The Braves tried to re-sign him after a 2005 season, when Furcal hit .284 with 11 triples, 12 homers and 46 stolen bases. But the bidding war that winter went higher than expected with the Chicago Cubs and Dodgers.

Now, the Braves hope he doesn’t have too much wear on a 5-foot-9, wiry body that looks like a mass of fast-twitch muscles and little else. He’s strong.

Furcal hit .292 with a .363 OBP in three seasons with the Dodgers, after hitting .284 with 12 homers and 46 stolen bases for the Braves in 2005.

The Braves think Johnson can be a .300 hitter who regularly cranks out 40-50 doubles and 20-25 homers, and his work late last season buoyed that belief. He hit .287 with 12 homers, 69 RBIs and a .349 on-base percentage in 2008, including .404 with 15 extra-base hits and 19 RBIs in his last 24 games.

And what of the Braves’ search for another starting pitcher? It continues, the sights presumably set lower on the likes of free agents including left-handers Randy Wolf and Oliver Perez and Japanese right-hander Kenshin Kawakami. But they still could decide to trade Escobar or Johnson in a deal for a potential ace.

The Braves were close to trading for Peavy in November, with Escobar a key piece of a package the Braves were going to send to San Diego. When those negotiations stalled, the Braves shifted focus to free agent A.J. Burnett.

Burnett decided Friday to sign with the New York Yankees over Atlanta.