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Roger Clemens

Clemens May Not Be Done

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The general assumption when Roger Clemens was named in the Mitchell Report was that he would quietly retreat from the public eye.  That might not be so, according to Newsday’s Ken Davidoff.

Davidoff talked to a couple of people "familiar with Clemens’ thinking."  These sources below The Rocket wouldn’t go out on such a low note – the steroid accusation plus the aborted Division Series start.  Clemens has already denied the allegations in a public statement, and a 2008 return could be an act of defiance.  He’s not likely to be suspended, anyway.

Davidoff believes the Astros and Red Sox are the two possibilities.  The ’Stros have a desperate need for rotation help.  Or, Clemens might be angling to finish his career in Boston.  That opportunity might grow a little larger if the Sox miss out on Johan Santana.  My guess is that Clemens might have to scale back his demands to the $12MM range.

Odds and Ends: Rowand, A-Rod, Calero, Clemens

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Some odds and ends floating about…

The Mitchell Report

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1:06pm: Jon Heyman names a slew of guys in the report.  The Mitchell Report itself is available here.  Start reading!  Wow, this thing is loaded with surprises.  Kind of cool to see the emails Mitchell was able to collect among front office guys.

11:11am: More on last night’s cut n’ paste misspelled list – WNBC talked to a "high-ranking MLB official" who refuted several names on it.

10:51am: This is odd, WNBC/CNBC is rolling with the same cut n’ pasted misspelled list.  Hey look, Troy Glaus is in there twice!  MetsBlog checks in with buzz that the Klapisch note about the Mets being safe may not be true.

10:25am: A list with a bunch of fairly believable names (many of them misspelled) in the form of one big paragraph has been passed around the Internet since at least last night.  There’s no indication it has any legitimacy (no need to email it to me).  Deadspin has published said list.

10:04am: The New York Daily News is also saying Pettitte is in the report.  But those Grimsley names were revealed in October of last year so I’m not sure what the hubbub is about.

9:20am: ESPN is reporting Roger Clemens is in the report.  Clemens was named in the Jason Grimsley affidavit, anyway.  So were Andy Pettitte, Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts, Jay Gibbons, and David Segui.

9:09am: The latest is from Bob Klapisch, who reports that no Mets on the current 40-man roster are in the report.  So people can stop randomly throwing Carlos Delgado’s name about.  Klapisch is on board with my tip that the Yanks will be hit hard. 

Odds and Ends: Clark, Izturis, Clemens

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First day for teams to negotiate with free agents, always a good time.  Here are today’s odds and ends.

  • Jeff Blair notes that one athlete may still be better paid than Alex Rodriguez: Kimi Raikkonen, a Formula One driver, earns $51MM per year.  No need to debate on whether race car drivers should be considered athletes, I just thought it was interesting.
  • The D’Backs don’t figure to spend much on free agents, because they’re a smart team. Tony Clark wants two years, $4MM, and the team is thinking it over.
  • The Bucs will probably hold onto Jack Wilson this winter, as they’re cutting Cesar Izturis loose rather than pay him $5.45MM.  The Cardinals have interest in Izturis, by the way.
  • Confirming what we already knew: the Yankees will pursue Mike Lowell and Johan Santana.
  • Marty York has a source saying the Blue Jays might pursue Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte.  Say what?
  • Doug Melvin isn’t planning on moving Rookie of the Year Ryan Braun from third base unless the Brewers acquire another "legitimate, bona fide third baseman."
  • Mark Gonzales notes that the White Sox tried to acquire Scott Linebrink and Octavio Dotel in 2006, implying that Kenny Williams might go after one of them now.  Linebrink is going to be a costly sign, as he’s a Type A and I imagine the Brewers will offer him arbitration.
  • Scott Gregor places odds on various center field possibilities for the White Sox.  He thinks they have a decent chance of trading for Coco Crisp.

Roger Clemens Kind Of Retires

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Another offseason, another Roger Clemens non-story.  This time, we’ve been informed by his agents that he’ll begin his personal services contract with the Astros next year, but could still come back and pitch in a shortened season again.  It sounds like the candidates would again be the Astros, Red Sox, and Yankees.

Even if the Rocket does retire, the Astros’ staff may get a boost from his tutelage.  Perhaps he can help Wandy Rodriguez, Matt Albers, or Troy Patton take it to the next level. 

Odds and Ends: A-Rod, Boras, Pettitte

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Early Monday morning reading material…

  • Interesting article in the New York Daily News regarding Scott Boras and Alex Rodriguez.  Boras insists that many of his clients have not taken the largest deal offered to them, giving examples.  The article also touches upon recent Boras clients connected to performance-enhancing drugs (Rick Ankiel and Scott Schoeneweis).  Boras’ agency is known for its obsessive attention to detail for all of its clients, and seeing a few of them busted raises some questions.
  • Last winter, we discussed the possibility of Hiroki Kuroda coming over from Japan.  Well, he’s a free agent again, and Nick Cafardo is wondering if 2008 will be the year.  Cafardo also noted that Daisuke Matsuzaka did not earn the Red Sox nearly as much marketing revenue as Scott Boras suggested.
  • Newsday’s Ken Davidoff says Andy Pettitte intends to exercise his $16MM player option for 2008.  Davidoff points out that Pettitte has the same deadline for this decision as A-Rod has for his opt-out.  Davidoff also mentions that Roger Clemens’ most likely destination for 2008 appears to be back in Houston, if he plays.
  • You’ve probably heard by now that Hank and Hal Steinbrenner will have final say on baseball decisions (especially Hank).  Hank will insist Joba Chamberlain be used as a starter in ’08, heightening the need to re-sign Mariano Rivera.
  • The Hardball Times tries to place dollar values on some top free agents, plus Adam Dunn.

Clemens Back In Houston Next Year?

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Astros fans: would you welcome Roger Clemens back with open arms in 2008?  Would this be a good way to spend $15-20MM?  Do you think the new general manager would entertain the possibility?

I ask because of this note in Will Carroll’s column today:

Clemens was reported to have avoided Torre’s calls, and while their relationship has never been close, it’s never been unprofessional. On top of this are some whispers that the Hendricks’ have started asking around regarding interest in Clemens’ services for next year, notably back in Houston.

Another winter, another round of Roger?  If Clemens does want to return in 2008, there’s no better place to leave on a high note than the NL Central.  But first he’ll have to prove his elbow is OK; he recently deemed it "pretty nasty" in there.  Clemens has a chance to climb to third all-time for career wins if he can manage another two seasons.

Stark’s Latest: Clemens, Pettitte, Lowell

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Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings column up at ESPN.  Let’s discuss.

  • Most folks think Roger Clemens will retire after the season.  The "will he, won’t he" storyline is one I won’t mind avoiding this winter.  Remember, back in February Roger said he told his son it was "80-20 that I wasn’t going to play." He also said, "I’m not leaving anybody hanging. I don’t want to play."  Good riddance.
  • Andy Pettitte has a $16MM player option for 2008.  This is similar to an out clause, where it’s win-win for the player.  He only exercises it if he couldn’t get it on the open market.  Pettitte’s the best free agent starting pitcher if he opts out.  Stark seems to think he’d decline the option but then just re-up with the Yankees for more money and/or years.
  • Word is that Mike Lowell would enjoy playing for the Phillies if the Red Sox don’t re-sign him.  Gordon Edes isn’t sure if the Red Sox would offer him three years, and believes another team might go four.  A four-year deal would cover his age 34-37 seasons…probably a bad move.  Then again, what do I know?  I thought he was toast after 2005.

What Might Have Been: Clemens Almost Joined Rangers

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Jamey Newberg looks back with a very interesting article for MLB.com.  I wasn’t aware of any of this. 

Apparently back in 1999, the Rangers almost traded talented young center fielder Ruben Mateo to the Blue Jays as part of a package for Roger Clemens.  Newberg examines how all the related dominoes fell for Texas; it’s a good read.  The main players, Jim Bowden and Doug Melvin, are of course still wheeling and dealing today.

Yanks Could Ditch Clemens

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You have probably read by now that Roger Clemens’s massive 2007 salary is not guaranteed, and the Yankees still have the option of walking away.  Brian Cashman says he’s not thinking about it right now, but surely the idea has crossed his mind.

The Rocket hopes to overcome his "fatigued groin" and make his season debut on Saturday against the Bucs.  That injury offers all kinds of dirty jokes but I’ll resist for now.  Back to the situation at hand – should the Yanks be backing out of this while they still can? 

The value of a player certainly hinges on his ability to push a team into a playoff berth.  The $4.6MM a month for Clemens can almost be justified if it’s getting the Yanks over the hump.  At fourth place and 12.5 games behind the Yankees, a division title is out.  They’re seven games out of the wild card, but need to leapfrog seven teams.  Baseball Prospectus and PECOTA think the Yankees still have a 22% chance of making the playoffs. 

Pitching, particularly starting pitching, remains a clear need.  If Clemens gives them a 3.80 ERA and Mussina rights the ship, they’ll have four solid starters.  Phil Hughes can give a boost in August.  On the offensive side, Cano, Damon, and Abreu have all been underachieving.  If a few of those guys can pick it up, the offense could rival the Red Sox for the balance of the season. 

There is definitely enough promise with this club to stick with the Clemens plan.

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