Nomar coming back! (updated x2)

Update #2

It’s official! Garciaparra returns to Dodgers

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers on Monday will announce the re-signing of National League Comeback Player of the Year Nomar Garciaparra to a two-year contract.

Already looking for one power hitter, current management’s interest in retaining Garciaparra soared after getting blindsided by the departure of right fielder J.D. Drew, who earlier this month exercised an option to void the final three years of his contract and took his 100 RBIs to the free-agent market.

I’ll take credit for the news coming out this evening since I wore my Garciaparra t-shirt to the grocery store. ;)

Update

Things are looking clearer: “Dodgers still courting Garciaparra”

Nomar Garciaparra’s desire to continue to report for work at Chavez Ravine has eroded reluctance within the Dodgers front office to the point that he could agree to a multiyear contract as soon as today, baseball sources said.

The deal would be for two or three years and would call for a significantly higher base salary than he received last year, when he played for a guaranteed $6 million and earned another $2.5 million in incentives based on plate appearances.

Rumor has it

These are newspaper rumors, so take them with a grain of salt. Risky or no, it would be awesome to have Nomar back.

Press-Enterprise: GM: Dodgers make one offer

After the second official day of the general managers’ meetings in Naples, Fla., Colletti said he has “made one offer to one guy.”

“We hope to make a couple more in the next few days,” he said. “There’s some real good players around the free-agent market, but there’s a lack of depth to it.”

Colletti wouldn’t confirm or deny if the offer was made to Nomar Garciaparra. But after Drew became a free agent, the Dodgers’ willingness to re-sign Garciaparra appeared to rise.

New York Post (last paragraph)

Agent Arn Tellem said client Nomar Garciaparra was not planning on pursuing offers aggressively until he knows for sure whether the Dodgers want to retain him. The Yanks had interest last year in Garciaparra as a first baseman and have the same need again.

NY Daily News

FIRST GLANCE AT NOMAR: Cashman has talked about possibly acquiring a right-handed hitting first baseman so Jason Giambi could primarily be a designated hitter and Nomar Garciaparra, whom the Yanks courted last winter, could be a possibility.

But there were indications at the GM meetings yesterday that Garciaparra’s first choice is to return to the Dodgers, where he enjoyed a comeback season in ‘06, batting .303 with 20 homers and 93 RBI and playing first exclusively.

Tacoma News Tribune (first of the “Short Hops” at bottom)

One of the hitters Seattle had interest in – Los Angeles infielder Nomar Garciaparra – is close to re-signing with the Dodgers. Los Angeles is also the early frontrunner in the chase for pitcher Jason Schmidt.