A Man's Word Is No Longer His Bond

The long standing tradition in baseball has been if the player or his agent requests a signed terms sheet from a team, negiotiations have reached the point where it's a done deal. Giving a player (or his agent) the signed offer sheet is the same as a handshake. The rest is mere formality.

That tradition was stood on its head this week by Rafael Furcal and his agent. The agent negotiated a contract with the Atlanta Braves and requested a signed terms sheet, which was faxed to the agent. Hours later, the agent changes his tune and says they are still negotiating with the LA Dodgers. It turns out the agent used the terms sheet to leverage a better contract from the Dodgers.

It's amazing to listen to the radio this morning. People across the country are universally negative in their reactions to this kind of under-handed sneakiness where a player reveals that his word is worth nothing. There are plans on burning everything from jerseys to bobblehead dolls, and the boos will get quite loud whenever Furcal shows his slimy face in Atlanta.

I never hope for injuries to an athlete. However, when it happens to the injury-prone Furcal, it should be sweet irony for any Braves fans.