There's been a lot of chatter surrounding Rafael Furcal over the last week or so. He might play second for the Mets, he might play center for the Yankees, he might invent a cure for the heartbreak of psoriasis while orbiting Earth in his Outer Space Laboratory. Yet one gets the feeling that this is only the beginning.

In fact, the words being bandied about at this point are in a near constant state of contradiction. Take this set of quotes from Furcal's agent, Paul Kinzer.

"Things have changed significantly since the free-agent period started. There's only one Rafael Furcal available and whoever wants to get him will have to pay for what he is worth," Kinzer said Friday. "We're looking for a five- or six-year contract, and $50 million is a pretty realistic figure."
- ESPN.com, 11/11/2005

"All I said was that we were looking for five years, and possibly six," [Kinzer] said. "I never said $50 million."
- Chicago Tribune, 11/12/2005

Ah, so he never said most of the things he said. There's going to be a lot of this sort of thing in the days and weeks to come - information leaks out, it causes some stir among the participants in the negotiations, denials and restatements are made in the interest of damage control. It makes this time all the more difficult for folks like us, as we sit here trying to figure out what's really happening.

Then, of course, there's the joy of non-information that only serves to create a vortex of oxymoronic gravity that pulls one's immortal soul into a black hole of amorphous frustration. Take a gander at these snippets:

Agent Paul Kinzer and the Braves agreed to hold off further discussions until other suitors, including the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets, have talked dollars with Kinzer.
- Atlanta Journal Constitution, 11/11/2005

The Cubs aren't likely to start the bidding until they can gauge Atlanta's interest in re-signing Furcal.
- Chicago Tribune, 11/12/2005

Nobody's doin' nothin' 'till somebody does somethin'. That shouldn't take long.

It seems I have to go through it every year. Despite having seen it time and again, every year I have to remind myself that, while it's okay to pay attention to this stuff, it's not okay to try to make sense of it. All it takes is reading through a couple sets of quotes like these to come to the realization: That way lies madness. Just as certainly as standing for thirty seconds in front of a bakery brings the understanding: That way lies cookies.

Take my advice, folks. Save yourselves. This stuff will seep into every nook and cranny of your brain, invading moments of your life, making you think of Corey Patterson trade scenarios while you're trying to conduct a meeting, or talk to your spouse, or sleep. Just put down the mouse, and walk away from the monitor. Just walk away. You'll thank me later.