Furcal ready to sign with Dodgers

Shortstop Rafael Furcal and the Los Angeles Dodgers have reached preliminary agreement on a $39 million, three-year contract, his agent said Sunday.

Paul Kinzer said a physical was scheduled for his client today. Dodgers spokesman Josh Rawitch would only say no announcement was planned before baseball's winter meetings, which begin today in Dallas.

Los Angeles beat out Atlanta and Chicago Cubs for Furcal, who had spent his entire six-year career with the Braves.

"He liked all three fits," Kinzer said.

Kinzer said the Dodgers entered the negotiations late, but that new general manager Ned Colletti and owner Frank McCourt made a persuasive argument.

"Earlier in the week, we were about finished when they got involved," Kinzer said. "They asked if we could listen. We have a tremendous amount of respect for Ned."

Adam Katz, Kinzer's partner, had dinner with Colletti on Tuesday night. Furcal and Katz went out to dinner Friday night in Los Angeles with McCourt, and Furcal was impressed by McCourt.

"He told Raffy his vision of where he wanted the team to be and how he fit in," Kinzer said. "Once the Dodgers went to $13 [million], the Cubs and Braves weren't moving to that point."

Furcal will receive $9 million next year, with $5 million of that to be called a signing bonus. He gets $13 million in cash in each of the following two seasons, and there is a final $4 million payment in January 2009.

-- The Associated Press