Report says Furcal to stay with Dodgers

Rafael Furcal is staying with the Los Angeles Dodgers, reaching a preliminary agreement Wednesday on a $33 million, three-year contract.

Furcal finalized his decision late in the afternoon, The Associated Press reported.

A day earlier, Furcal had been close to accepting a $30 million, three-year offer from the Atlanta Braves, his original major league team.

Furcal, 31, hit .357 with five homers and 16 RBIs last season but was limited to 36 games and 143 at-bats by back problems. He had back surgery July 3 and was sidelined until the season's final week, but he started each of the Dodgers' eight playoff games, hitting .258 with one homer, three RBIs and nine runs scored.

METS NOT FOR SALE: The Wilpon family, owners of the New York Mets, may have lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the wide-ranging fraud case involving Bernard Madoff.

Madoff allegedly stole money from Sterling Equities, the real estate company of Mets owner Fred Wilpon. Jeff Wilpon said the family's holdings are diversified and that the loss will not affect operations of the baseball team. He vehemently stated the team was "uncategorically, totally, completely not for sale."

SHORT HOPS: Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg will manage the Chicago Cubs' Double-A Tennessee Smokies in 2009.

* New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain had his arraignment on drunken-driving charges in Lincoln, Neb., delayed until next month.

* San Diego Padres outfielder Brian Giles is being sued by his former girlfriend for more than $10 million, alleging he battered her while she was pregnant and caused her to have a miscarriage.