Slots Grobnick asks; “Is Nomar going to reclaim any of his former brilliance? I, for one, think he has Lynn Disease. The symptoms are: head west and regress.‿

Well Slots, the analogy to Freddy Lynn is a darn good one. Both had their best days in Boston, owned the city, and ultimately failed to recapture past glory after leaving.

That said, Nomar Garciaparra is one of the most intriguing fantasy players coming into this season. His numbers last year (.283, 9-HR, 30-RBI, 62-games) were very disappointing, especially to those of us who drafted him. However, a closer look reveals a guy who batted below .200 before tearing a groin muscle and missing most of the season. Once he returned and shifted to 3rd base to replace the injured Aramis Ramirez, Garciaparra began tearing the cover off the ball, much like he did for the Red Sox in his heyday.

Now I know he’s not getting any younger and he’s moving to a pitcher’s park in Los Angeles, but I still think Garciaparra has a place in every fantasy lineup. First of all, he’s eligible at shortstop and 3rd base right now and will add 1st base because that’s where the Dodgers are playing him. Three position eligibility alone makes him valuable. With the strain of playing short gone, expect Mr. Hamm to perform much as he did for the Cubbies in September.

The injury risk no longer makes him a stud, but if Nomar is there in the 10th round of your draft or later, give him serious consideration. The potential reward far outweighs the gamble.