Furcal, Braves close

Shortstop ponders $30 million deal

Shortstop Rafael Furcal is close to accepting a $30 million, three-year offer to return to the Atlanta Braves.

The 31-year-old began his major league career with Atlanta, playing for the Braves from 2000-05. He spent the past three seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"He liked the idea of coming back to Atlanta, but there hasn't been any formal agreement," Furcal's agent, Paul Kinzer, said yesterday. "Everything is preliminary. The whole thing with coming back home intrigued him. He still has a house here in Atlanta."

His deal would contain an option for 2012 that could become guaranteed.

Furcal hit .357 last season with five homers and 16 RBIs but had back surgery July 3 and was limited to 36 games and 143 at-bats. He returned to the lineup Sept. 24 and played in four games during the final week of the season.

Furcal was 16 and still living in his native Dominican Republic when the Braves signed him to his first contract Nov. 9, 1996. He was a fixture at the top of the Atlanta lineup, winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 2000 and making the 2003 All-Star team.

After hitting .300 with 15 homers, 63 RBIs, and 37 stolen bases in his first year with the Dodgers, Furcal had ankle and back injuries the past two seasons.

Mark Teixeira is "nearing a conclusion" on his baseball future, ESPN's Karl Ravech reported, citing "someone very familiar with negotiations."

The 28-year-old switch-hitter has offers from four teams - the Red Sox, Orioles, Nationals, and Angels - and Angels general manager Tony Reagins confirmed the team's eight-year offer, also saying the Halos' chance of signing Manny Ramírez is slim.

Teixeira has said he wants a deal done by Christmas.

The Orioles, Teixeira's hometown team, meanwhile, filled their hole at shortstop, agreeing to a $5 million, two-year contract with free agent Cesar Izturis.

Izturis, 28, batted .263 in 135 games with the Cardinals this year. He ranked third in the NL with a .980 fielding percentage. He won the 2004 Gold Glove for the Dodgers and was an NL All-Star the following year. "This is a good opportunity to play every day," Izturis said. "I think they needed a defensive shortstop. I just want to help the team win; it will be fun."

A switch-hitter, Izturis batted .290 righthanded and .245 lefthanded in 2008. He also led the Cardinals with 24 stolen bases.

Joey Gathright and the Cubs agreed to an $800,000, one-year contract, three days after the outfielder became a free agent when Kansas City failed to offer a deal for 2009. Primarily a center fielder, Gathright has played five seasons in the majors with Tampa Bay and Kansas City, batting .263 in 399 games. He stole 21 bases in 25 chances last season for the Royals and had 15 bunt hits while batting .254 . . . Outfielder Raul Ibanez and the Phillies have finalized a $31.5 million, three-year contract. The deal, agreed to on Friday, was subject to a physical and was announced yesterday. Ibanez, 36, will take over in left for Pat Burrell, who became a free agent. He hit .293 last season with 43 doubles, 23 home runs, and 110 RBIs for the Mariners . . . Lefthander John Bale and the Royals agreed to a one-year, $1.2 million contract. Bale was 0-3 with a 4.39 ERA in 2008, appearing in only 13 games while struggling with injuries - one self-inflicted when he broke his pitching hand by punching a hotel room door while the Royals were in Cleveland . . . Lefthander Chris Capuano, who missed last season after injuring his pitching elbow, stayed with the Brewers, agreeing to a minor league contract.