Marlins To Sign Rafael Furcal
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/12/mariners-to-sign-rafael-furcal.html
By Charlie Wilmoth [December 5, 2013 at 8:30pm CST]
The Marlins will sign shortstop Rafael Furcal to a one-year deal, tweets FOX
Sports' Ken Rosenthal. The idea, Rosenthal reports, is that Furcal will be
their everyday second baseman. Furcal has not played more than four games in
a season at second since 2000, having played at shortstop almost exclusively
since then, although many players have successfully transitioned from
shortstop to second base. Donovan Solano and Derek Dietrich were the Marlins'
primary second basemen in 2013.
Furcal, 36, hit .264/.325/.346 with the Cardinals in 2012. Furcal himself
indicated last week that the Marlins were one of several teams interested in
him, along with the Mets, Red Sox, Pirates, Nationals, Rockies and other
teams. The Mets reportedly lost interest in Furcal, who missed the entire
2013 after having Tommy John surgery, amidst concerns about his health.
Furcal is the second significant free-agent signing for the Marlins this
winter, following catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Furcal lives in southern
Florida, so the signing will keep him close to home.