On January 20th, Atlanta agreed to contracts with J.D. Drew, Rafael Furcal, and Will Cunnane, narrowly avoiding the often-ostracizing ordeal of exchanging arbitration figures. Drew agreed to a one-year, $4.2M contract.

The Braves signed Furcal to a one-year, $3.7M contract. Furcal experienced growth across the board in 2003, improving his walk rate, contact rate, base running, and power. The 26-year-old should continue to build on that growth in 2004, working his way towards the stardom anticipated after his rookie season and delayed by injury. While Furcal shouldn't be eligible for free agency until after the 2005 season, I think the Braves made a big mistake in not working out a multi-year deal with the shortstop this off-season. Now he likely will have another solid season of growth under his belt, in which his batting average may exceed the benchmark of .300, giving him ground upon which to demand a larger salary. Players also seem more interested in testing the free agent market when it is only a year away.

Cunnane agreed to a one-year, $525,000 contract. I expect his ERA to rise over 3.00 in 2004 as his hit rate gravitates toward a more ordinary level. However, the 29-year-old's solid skill set should allow him to continue to pitch effectively for the Braves.