Braves livid over dealings with Furcal

Dec 19, 2008 - 4:32 PM ATLANTA (Ticker) -- The Atlanta Braves reportedly are still smarting after shortstop Rafael Furcal reneged on a verbal agreement and instead signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In a report Thursday in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Braves team president and former general manager John Schuerholz called the dealings of Furcal's agents "despicable" and "disgusting" and said the franchise would never again think of signing players represented by the Wasserman Media Group.

The agency is led by agent Arn Tellem.

"Having been in this business for 40-some years, I've never seen anybody treated like that," Schuerholz told the newspaper. "The Atlanta Braves will no longer do business with that company -- ever. I told Arn Tellem that we can't trust them to be honest and forthright. I told him that in all my years, I've never seen any (agency) act in such a despicable manner.

"It was disgusting and unprofessional. We're a proud organization, and we won't allow ourselves to be treated that way. I advised Arn Tellem that whatever players he represents, just scratch us off the list. Take the name of the Atlanta Braves off their speed dial. They can deal with the other 29 clubs, and we'll deal with the other hundred agents."

The Wasserman agency lists more than 60 baseball clients on its web site, including the Braves' Peter Moylan.

The Braves reportedly believed they had reached an agreement with Furcal on a three-year, $30 million contract with a fourth-year vesting option.

According to the report, at the agency's request the Braves faxed the Wasserman Media Group a term sheet Tuesday morning for Furcal's signature.

A term sheet is considered the final step of negotiations, but the agency instead took the offer back to Los Angeles and used it as leverage.

Schuerholz told the newspaper he phoned Tellem on Wednesday night to express his displeasure over his agency's tactics.

"I expressed my great disappointment to (Tellem)," he said. "I watched as (Braves general manger Frank Wren) shared with me the circumstances of his negotiations with Furcal - negotiations to the point where we increased our offer, and (the agency) then asked for a signed term sheet to be sent over.

"We never got that signed term sheet faxed back to us, and we later found out why - because they took that offer and shopped it."

On Thursday, Tellem defended his agency's actions, noting that the Braves and Furcal did not have a signed deal and that the team knew the shortstop was going to think it over.

Tellem also said that while he understood the Braves' frustration over Furcal getting away, he and his agency "conducted ourselves with dignity and complied with all the rules of Major League Baseball throughout this process."

"We hope that once emotions have subsided, the Braves will act in a manner consistent with not only their obligations under the collective bargaining agreement and the National Labor Relations Act, but also the best interests of the franchise," Tellem said. "In short, we would not want this incident to color their better judgment."