A's out of Running for SS Furcal

The A's abruptly pulled out of the Rafael Furcal sweepstakes Friday after the free-agent shortstop rejected their four-year contract offer.

Furcal's agent, Paul Kinzer, told FOXSports.com that Furcal declined the A's proposal, which was believed to be in the range of $35 million to $40 million.

The A's had given Furcal a Saturday deadline to accept their offer, according to major-league sources. When Furcal rejected the deal, team officials informed Kinzer they would move on to other pursuits.

Kinzer said the "door is definitely open" to further discussions, but the A's will revisit Furcal only if he is willing to accept a lesser deal, sources said.

For now, the A's plan to keep Bobby Crosby at shortstop, pursue free-agent left-hander Randy Johnson and consider free-agent hitters such as Adam Dunn, Pat Burrell and Jason Giambi.

"They needed some freedom to make the moves they needed to — that's fine," Kinzer said.

Kinzer said he continues to talk with the Dodgers about re-signing Furcal, and plans to meet again with the A's and other interested clubs at the winter meetings in Las Vegas.

The A's granted Furcal's request for a four-year contract, but their offer represented a pay cut from his $13 million average salary with the Dodgers.

No other club is believed to have given Furcal a four-year proposal, but Kinzer said length of contract is only one consideration.

"That isn't a deal-breaker," Kinzer said. "There are a lot of other things that go into it."

The Giants talked to Furcal before signing free agent Edgar Renteria on Thursday to a two-year, $18.5 million contract.

It is not known which other clubs are pursuing Furcal, who underwent back surgery last season and missed more than four months before rejoining the Dodgers in late September.

Furcal, 31, could expand his market if he were willing to move to second base, a position he has played extensively in winter ball. The Mets and Yankees, for example, could pursue second basemen if they trade their current starters at that position. But even then, they might prefer free agent Orlando Hudson.

Furcal, a switch-hitting leadoff man, played in only 36 games for the Dodgers last season, batting .357 with a .439 on-base percentage and .573 slugging percentage.

He is a career .286 hitter with a .352 OBP.

This article originally published on FOXSports.com.

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