I Know It's a Business, But...

I'm not naive.  I know that baseball is a business just as much as it is a game.  But I thought there was some sort of understood honor code when it came to baseball; a sense that there is fairness throughout the known world in the end.  However, if you're in the Atlanta Braves organization, it is difficult to see the justice in it all.

I read just last night that Rafael Furcal was going to sign with the Atlanta Braves, pending a physical.  I get home this evening to find out that he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Now, I know that this time of the year there are a lot of rumors flying around the ol' "Hot Stove," and that nothing should be taken for granted, but typically, it is not said that a person is going to sign with a team unless it is certain.  Maybe I'm way off base here.  Maybe I'm not.  Here's the low-down on what happened.

Furcal's agents - we'll call them Agent #1 and Agent #2 for the sake of simplicity - had been working on a deal that would bring the veteran back to the Braves, the team for which he played the first six years of his career.  You see, three years ago, Furcal left the Braves as a free agent in favor of the City of Angels.  Apparently, Braves officials were not pleased that they were not given an opportunity to counter the offer that was made by the Dodgers.  This time around, the roles were reversed.  There was a verbal agreement that Furcal would sign with the Braves, which was made between Agent #1 and Braves officials.  That is when Agent #2 decided it would be a good idea to allow the Dodgers to counter the Braves' offer (which he didn't let the Bravos do three years ago).  Less than 24 hours later, the Braves were given The Chop, and Furcal is heading back to L.A.

Apparently Agent #1 and Agent #2 are unaware of the unwritten rule regarding a verbal agreement.  You see, the Braves operate in a world where a person's word is solid and binding; however, Agents #1 & #2 apparently don't live in this world.  It's sad really.  And perhaps we shouldn't be surprised by the latest twist - after all, it was said a couple weeks ago that the A's were the only team in the running for the 31 year old's services.  

Hopefully, this will not damage the Braves' outlook towards these particular agents, but somehow, I doubt that is the case.  I would certainly hate to be an athlete who wanted to play for the Braves and have those guys as my agent.  If I were in the Braves front office, I would be very careful about dealing with those guys again, if ever.  Ah, well.  Thus is the life in offseason baseball...