Phillies to wait for Nomar

February 5, 2009 · Paul Raymond · Jump to comments

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nomar With spring training just a week away, the World Series Champions Philadelphia Phillies are still waiting to hear back from Nomar Garciaparra. General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr and the players agents have had talks on and off all winter but yet nothing has materialized. The main reason? Nomar hasn’t decided if he even wants to play in 2009. He’s not sure if he can play at the level he’s accustomed to. You know considering all the injuries he has suffered in his career.

“Nomar has been great through the whole process, but he doesn’t want to put our team in position to bring on a player who may not be prepared to performed at his accustomed level,” Amaro told the Wilmington Journal News. “But if we can bring Nomar in and give him an opportunity to be in camp, if he feels like he’s healthy enough to do that, it gives us more depth.”

Basically to me this sounds like the old aging ball player taking a minor league deal and getting an invitation to Spring Training. If can compete he joins the major league team gets a nice pay day. If not, then he rides off into the sunset and gets to spend a lot of time with his hot wife Mia Hamm.

Amaro said, “Nomar has so much respect in the game that, if it would be a situation where he isn’t going to make our club, he’d be free to do whatever he wants. He’s earned that. I would hope that, within the next couple weeks, we’ll have a clearer picture of where he’s at.”

For the Phillies bringing Nomah in to camp is a win-win scenario. If Nomar joins the club and decides he still has it then it gives the team some nice depth. Especially when you consider the team doesn’t know when Chase Utley will be available. Utley says he’ll be back from off season hip surgery that he’ll be back by Opening Day, but in reality the team has no idea when he’ll be back.

I’ve never been a fan of Nomar but he can really be a positive addition to this Phillies team. Now if his knees feel kind of bad in camp no one will blame him for retiring. I mean really who wouldn’t want to retire in their thirties with that wife of his.