SB Nation St. Louis - Rafael Furcal Singles, Scores In First Cardinals Starthttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49009/stl-fave.png2011-08-02T08:01:07-05:00http://stlouis.sbnation.com/rss/stream/20701762011-08-02T08:01:07-05:002011-08-02T08:01:07-05:00Rafael Furcal Scores On Leadoff Single In First Cardinals Start
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<p><span>Rafael Furcal</span>, acquired by the <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">St. Louis Cardinals</a> from the Los Angeles DOdgers at the MLB trade deadline, picked up his first hit in a Cardinals uniform Monday night, scoring moments later on a <span>Matt Holliday</span> home run. Furcal, whose base hit against <span>Zack Greinke</span> briefly brough his batting average over the Mendoza Line, drew a walk to reach base again in the Cardinals' series-opening loss against the first-place <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Brewers</a>, who, having started <span>Yuniesky Betancourt</span> all year, were also connected to the shortstop at the deadline.</p>
<p>Furcal, who hit .300 in 97 games a year ago but was hitting just .197/.272/.248 on July 31, was acquired by the Cardinals in exchange for minor league outfielder <span>Alex Castellanos</span>, who went 0-4 with three strikeouts and a walk in his debut with the AA Southern League's Chattanooga Lookouts. Castellanos hit .319/.379/.562 with the Springfield Cardinals in 2011, a year after hitting .270/.339/.462 with the high-A Palm Beach Cardinals, and is best described as a less-toolsy version of <span>Terry Evans</span>, the enticing but ultimately expendable outfielder the Cardinals traded to get <span>Jeff Weaver</span> in 2006.</p>
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/2011/8/2/2310915/rafael-furcal-st-louis-cardinals-debutDan Moore2011-07-31T08:00:47-05:002011-07-31T08:00:47-05:00Rafael Furcal A Big Upgrade For Cardinals Middle Infield
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<p><span>Rafael Furcal</span> as he's performing right now is an upgrade for nobody. Saddled with a sub-.600 OPS and playing, according to some observers, the worst defense of his career, Furcal is, based on his 2011 numbers, a kind of terrible cross between last year's <span>Brendan Ryan</span> and this year's <span>Ryan Theriot</span>. But with Theriot performing just as poorly, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a>' apparent trade with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Los Angeles Dodgers</a> has given their offense, downgraded by their recent trade of <span>Colby Rasmus</span> for starter <span>Edwin Jackson</span>, a little more room to breathe in August and September.</p>
<p>If Theriot and Furcal are playing identically right now, their careers to date have been drastically different. Theriot's tools--hitting for average sometimes, taking walks sometimes--are intermittently visible and never especially easy to see over his deficiencies on offense and defense. His poor play in 2011 is at the lower bound of reasonable expectations for the year, but not exactly stunning.</p>
<p>Furcal's poor play is unprecedented, though his fragility is not. By acquiring him the Cardinals are paying a significant (but neither unprecedented nor exactly stunning) amount of money for the chance that they might end up with the real Rafael Furcal as their infield upgrade heading into the playoffs, instead of the real Ryan Theriot.</p>
<p>If he's done, it's no harm; the Cardinals aren't blocking anyone except <span>Daniel Descalso</span>, who'll get plenty of playing time anyway, and <span>Tyler Greene</span>, who wouldn't get plenty of playing time anyway. If he's not done, the Cardinals have a real shortstop--for far less than it cost them to get a real starter.</p>
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/st-louis-cardinals/2011/7/31/2306804/rafael-furcal-cardinals-trade-rumorsDan Moore2011-07-30T17:24:21-05:002011-07-30T17:24:21-05:00MLB Trade Rumors: St. Louis Cardinals On Verge Of Deal For Rafael Furcal
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<p>The <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">St. Louis Cardinals</a> looked ready to address their needs at shortstop ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline Saturday, with rumors suggesting they were on the verge of a deal with the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Dodgers</a> to bring struggling shortstop <span>Rafael Furcal</span> over in exchange for some much needed post-McCourt salary relief. The Cardinals have looked to utility-man <span>Daniel Descalso</span> at shortstop recently, with <span>Ryan Theriot</span>'s continued failures at bat and in the field leaving them with a sub-replacement-level hole in the offense.</p>
<p>The <em>Post-Dispatch</em> <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinal-beat/article_48c37338-ba5b-11e0-bfd5-001a4bcf6878.html">reports</a> that Rafael Furcal, who has no-trade protection as a 5-and-10 player, would accept a trade to the Cardinals, while other sources have reported that the price would likely be a minor prospect given the Dodgers' need for salary relief and desire to see top prospect <span>Dee Gordon</span> starting at the Major League level.</p>
<p>Earlier this week the <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Milwaukee Brewers</a> were also looking at Furcal, who's collapsed to a sub-.600 OPS a year after one of the best half-seasons of his career. At his best the switch-hitting Furcal, who emerged as a star shortstop with the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Atlanta Braves</a> before arriving in Los Angeles on a big free agent deal, combines speed and on-base skills with above-average defense at shortstop.</p>
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/2011/7/30/2338754/mlb-trade-rumors-st-louis-cardinals-on-verge-of-deal-for-rafael-furcalDan Moore