WSCR Radio 670 in Chicago reported this afternoon that higher-ups in the Tribune Company put the kabosh on raising their offer for Rafael Furcal. The Cubs' offer was 5 years $47M, with the last two years "guaranteed" based on a games played incentive in years 3-4 of the deal. According to the report, when the Dodgers made their offer of 3 years, $39M guaranteed, Furcal came back to the Cubs and asked for 5 years, $50M with the games played incentive taken out. The Cubs balked, and it appears that someone higher up the Cubs' food chain than GM Jim Hendry (i.e, Andy McPhail or Tribune management) communicated that the Cubs' offer would stand.
So for an extra $3M, the Cubs may have had both Furcal and Pierre, as the Pierre talks were ongoing with Florida at the time of the Furcal offer. Way to let the big one get away!
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