Yankees make offer to Garciaparra

[Pastor Bruce S.]

[reported on ESPN Radio]

Wow! Wouldn't this be a dandy? 3 of this generation's greatest shortstops all in the same infield? Wow! The Yankees have made an offer to Nomar to play 1st base with Giambi being the full-time DH. Sign it now Nomar!

[Nickdfresh]

NO-MAAAAAAAAAAAR!!??!!

A YANKER, who'd a thunk' it?

[redblkwht]

Im hearing the pirates too..

Yanks wont sign him IMO-

[WARF]

Nomar is washed up.

[POJO_Risin]

4 teams in the running for Nomah...

Yanks, Tribe, Houston and the Dodgers...

[POJO_Risin]

Garciaparra May Be Leaning Toward Dodgers
Free agent meets with Colletti again, this time accompanied by Hamm, and team waits to hear if he will accept a one-year deal to play first base.

By Tim Brown, Times Staff Writer


Nearing a decision on where he will play next season, Nomar Garciaparra is believed to be leaning toward accepting a one-year contract to play first base for the Dodgers.

Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti and Garciaparra's agent, Arn Tellem, spoke several times by telephone Friday, and Garciaparra met with Colletti for a second consecutive day at Dodger Stadium, this time accompanied by his wife, Mia Hamm.

"Both were great meetings," Colletti said, "at least from my perspective."

The New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros also have courted Garciaparra, a five-time All-Star beset the last two seasons by wrist, Achilles and groin injuries. By Friday night, none of those organizations had been notified that Garciaparra was off the market.

Once among the elite shortstops in the game, Garciaparra, 32, played more games at third base than shortstop with the Chicago Cubs last season and has told the Dodgers he would be willing to play first base or left field.

The Dodgers signed shortstop Rafael Furcal and third baseman Bill Mueller in the last two weeks, and have been looking to upgrade over Hee-Seop Choi at first base and a variety of candidates in left.

Cesar Izturis, the Dodger shortstop for much of the last four seasons, had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and is not expected to return until June or July. When he signed Furcal, Colletti suggested Izturis, when healthy, would play second base and Jeff Kent would move to first base.

It is unclear what a Garciaparra signing would do to that plan, though it is unlikely the Dodgers would ask Garciaparra to learn two new positions in a three-month span, and likely they would prefer not to have him test his Achilles' tendon and groin in left field every night.

"You've got a lot of what-ifs," Colletti said. "I don't feel comfortable addressing what-ifs right now. Let's see what happens with Nomar and we'll take it from there. As all those things unfold we'll make decisions as we have to make them. To me, it's all premature."

On Friday, Tellem released a statement that read, "Nomar continues to talk with players, friends and family members. He is weighing his options carefully and while he has no plans on making a decision today he intends to do so in the near future."

The Dodgers have offered a one-year contract with a base salary less than the $8.25 million Garciaparra made last season, with incentives that could bring him above that.

A healthy Garciaparra could bat fifth in the Dodger order, protecting Kent. He has never hit fewer than 24 home runs in a full season, twice hit 30 or more, and six times drove in at least 96 runs. Injuries have substantially cut into three of his last five seasons. He batted .338 in August and .311 in September last season, however, and had nine home runs and 26 RBIs in those months after recovering from the groin injury.

Colletti said the chances of the Dodgers signing free-agent center fielder Johnny Damon were "a longshot," and had no plans to meet with Damon. … Free-agent outfielder Kenny Lofton met Friday with Arizona Diamondback officials. Lofton would prefer to sign with the Dodgers and intended to talk to Colletti on Friday night or today. … Reggie Sanders continues to be an option in left field. … Rick Honeycutt, who pitched in nearly 800 games over 21 seasons in the big leagues, is a strong candidate to become Grady Little's pitching coach. He has been the Dodgers' minor league pitching coordinator for four years.