Joel Sherman wrote that the Jays dropped out of the bidding for free agent SS Rafael Furcal today when the bidding got too high. 

Not to keep ripping on Joel Sherman, but it is hard to take what he says about the Jays seriously when he claims that Furcal prefers Kansas City to Oakland because:

Furcal knows a few executives from his Atlanta days who are now in Kansas City, notably GM Dayton Moore.

Seriously?  He knows executives who used to be in the front office at Atlanta?  He knows the GM?  This is a reason to sign with a team?  If this is true, it has to go down with Denver school system as the dumbest reason ever for a player's preference.  

Anyway, if the Jays are out of the bidding, it ends the only semi-big name that the Jays have even talked too - they're never mentioned in talks with Lowe, Bradley, Giambi, or anyone else.  Maybe now if we're out on Furcal, we can take another look at other players and see if Rafael was really "the only one" JP would go to management to raise the payroll for.   I guess we'll have to see. 

[Note by hugo, 12/15/08 3:52 PM EST ]  Update:  Furcal's agent has confirmed that the Jays are out of it, as posted on Jordan Bastian's blog.