ATLANTA --- Shortstop Rafael Furcal is close to accepting a $30 million, three-year offer to return to the Atlanta Braves.

ESPN.com, however, was reporting that the Los Angeles Dodgers had re-entered negotiations for Furcal.

The 31-year-old began his career with Atlanta, playing for the Braves from 2000-05. He spent the past three seasons with the Dodgers.

"He liked the idea of coming back to Atlanta, but there hasn't been any formal agreement," Furcal's agent, Paul Kinzer, said Tuesday. "Everything is preliminary. The whole thing with coming back home intrigued him. He still has a house here in Atlanta."

His deal would contain an option for 2012 that could become guaranteed.

Furcal hit .357 last season with five homers and 16 RBI but had back surgery July 3 and was limited to 36 games and 143 at-bats. He returned to the lineup Sept. 24 and played in the final week of the season.

"It's pretty close," Kinzer said. "The A's are out. My last thing to him was sleep on it."

Furcal was 16 and living in his native Dominican Republic when the Braves signed him on Nov. 9, 1996. He was a fixture at the top of the lineup from 2000-05, winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 2000 and making 2003 the All-Star team.

After hitting .300 with 15 homers, 63 RBI and 37 stolen bases in his first year with the Dodgers, Furcal had ankle and back injuries the past two seasons.

Braves general manager Frank Wren did not return telephone and e-mail messages.

RAFAEL FURCAL'S CAREER AT A GLANCE
Year	TEAM	G	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SB	OBP	AVG
'00	Braves	131	87	134	20	4	4	37	73	40	.394	.295
'01	Braves	79	39	89	19	0	4	30	24	22	.321	.275
'02	Braves	154	95	175	31	8	8	47	43	27	.323	.275
'03	Braves	156	130	194	35	10	15	61	60	25	.352	.292
'04	Braves	143	103	157	24	5	14	59	58	29	.344	.279
'05	Braves	154	100	175	31	11	12	58	62	46	.348	.284
'06	Dodgers	159	113	196	32	9	15	63	73	37	.369	.300
'07	Dodgers	138	87	157	23	4	6	47	55	25	.333	.270
'08	Dodgers	36	34	51	12	2	5	16	20	8	.439	.357
Car.		1,150	788	1,328	227	53	83	418	468	259	.352	.286