Frank Discussion Sold Furcal

Rafael Furcal was close to telephoning the Chicago Cubs to say he would be their next shortstop Friday when instead he answered a call from his agent telling him they would board a flight for Los Angeles to meet with Dodger owner Frank McCourt.

That night, with General Manager Ned Colletti in Ohio interviewing Joel Skinner for the managerial opening, McCourt impressed Furcal over dinner with his passion and plan for turning the Dodgers around.

“He and Raffy really hit it off,” said Paul Kinzer, Furcal’s agent. “Frank did a good job of selling the team. Raffy got all the answers he needed.”

McCourt also brought in a deal closer -- longtime Dodger coach Manny Mota. Like many players who grew up in the Dominican Republic, Furcal attended Mota’s clinics as a youngster and regards him as a father figure.

“They flew Manny in to go out to dinner with us,” Kinzer said. “He and Raffy sat together and talked all night.”

Colletti won’t meet Furcal face-to-face until a news conference tentatively scheduled for Tuesday at the winter meetings in Dallas. Furcal’s physical is scheduled for today.

Furcal’s three-year, $39-million deal includes a signing bonus and will pay him slightly more at the end of the deal than the beginning, Kinzer said. The contract will make Furcal the highest-paid Dominican shortstop, eclipsing Baltimore’s Miguel Tejada, who makes $11 million a year.

Tejada has long been regarded as the top Dominican shortstop. The Dominican team at the Caribbean Series in February featured Tejada at shortstop and Furcal at second base.

“It is very flattering to [Furcal],” Kinzer said of his client making more than any other Dominican shortstop. “But it wasn’t the only factor in the decision.”

The pristine Dodger Stadium infield was a consideration. Furcal spent his first six seasons with Atlanta and looked forward each year to the Braves’ trip to Los Angeles because the infield is the best in the National League in his estimation.

This is Furcal’s first multiyear contract. The Braves discussed a long-term deal with him a year ago, but backed off after signing starting pitcher Tim Hudson to a lucrative contract.

Now Furcal is the one with the eye-popping deal. Kinzer said that even if he had agreed to the five-year deal the Cubs offered, he would have requested an out clause after three years.

“He’s confident he will still be playing at a high level then,” Kinzer said. “The Braves made a good effort and the Cubs did too. He turned down longer terms from other teams. We probably could have gotten close to this much money and twice as many years. But this was the right thing and the right team.”