Furcalcations

I guess that means the implications stemming from re-signing Furcal.

I guess you could conclude that next season's deadline trade bait would include a middle infielder out of Hu, Abreu, or DeJesus. This doesn't completely kill the chance of one of those playing their way into a job Blake DeWitt style, as Furcal will probably go through a DL stint next season at some point.

The dodgers aren't going "youth" as an excuse to slash payroll like the pads and d-backs. I was scared this was the case and that the pursuit of Furcal was halfhearted.This not being the case, I guess it's safe to bet the dodgers will try to add Manny or an alternative like Bobby Abreu and a pitcher.

A trade of Juan Pierre or Andruw Jones just got easier to pull off. Chances are it still doesn't happen, but now that the team has no holes except for a 5'th starter and a backup catcher, the dodgers are in a better position to match up with teams to dump the salary nightmares that are Jones and Pierre. Some team should want to take a chance on Jones as he's in his walk year and is already done interviews in the winter league talking about how he's lost weight and is getting his confidence back. The reds are a team that could use him. They could use Pierre too. The braves, white sox, florida, astros, brewers, royals...basically a lot of teams might want one or the other to varying degrees. Hopefully Pierre & Jones both showcase often enough and well next season to bolster interest.

The ability to trade for Jake Peavy just increased. The trio of middle infield prospects just got a bit more expendable. The padres need a real shortstop as right now they're targeting vet scrubs.

The leadoff role is taken care of.

The infield defense just got better. Plan B was the kids and Angel Berroa rotating. Despite the good D some may have, when you don't play everyday you're bound to make more mistakes in the field. This is important because Casey Blake doesn't seem to cover that much ground and DeWitt may not cover that much ground as a third baseman covering second. An unhurt Furcal covers lots of ground, you just have to watch out for the wild throws.

Torre is happier with his team. You can tell he loves Furcal. That might turn out to him hanging around longer before hanging them up as a manager.