Clemens May Not Be Done

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.

Comments

[trevordchi]

I think a Clemens signing plus maybe signing one more FA SP could make the Astros legit playoff contenders in 08, even if we have had to sell our souls to get there.

[SoxWin]

What the heck does familar with Clemens thinking supposed to mean?

I don't see Clemens going back to the AL where he looked like nothing more than an average pitcher. If he really wanted to come back again he would be wise to do it in the NL, espeically the NL Central probably the worst division.

[jnr98]

oh please, anywhere but back to NY

[tolo316]

Anyone who saw Clemens pitch for the Yankees down the stretch knows that "he's done".

Someone needs to tell him that now.

[braves077]

No way do the Sox even think of signing him. If he plays he'll go back to the Stros. Or whereever Pettite is. HaHa. Wonder if he supplied his son roids. Ever think of that.

[NLBaseball21]

Maybe Clemens can go to Baltimore and shoot up half of their roster. Then maybe the O's compete in the East next year.

[el clash combo]

After Clemens went to NYY last year, he lost all of his marketable nostalgia in Boston so I cant imagine he'd be welcomed back by the fans. And as noted above, he showed he had nothing to offer the AL in terms of pitching. Boston's #5 starter is much better than Clemens for 1/2 a year....at any price.

[metafrantic]

The Red Sox have 6 SP for their rotation already; considering how bad he was last year, I would content that all 6 are likely to have a better 2008 than Clemens.

[joel]

as an Astros fan I wouldn't want him to pitch any more than 2 months. With the caveat that they are in th running for the playoffs.

The guy really looked done to me. But I guess thats why he hasn't started his personal service contract.

[metafrantic]

That should read "I would CONTEND"

I hate this posting system.

[el clash combo]

Seriously... if Clemens feels like he has to prove something amid these steroid allegations, then do it in Houston and retire after 2008 - for good. He cant pitch the AL and he can barely make it through a half season without getting lit up or injured.

[levelboss]

the notion of Clemens finishing out his career in Boston in order to get the most wins for a Boston pitcher idea is as tired as the whole Manny asking to be traded every year

actually, this could be a tremendous opportunity for the Yankees.. i agree that it's possible that Clemens' ego is such that he doesn't want to retire on the sour notes of an injured poor performance in the ALDS and a steroids accusation..

so he'd want to play in 2008 badly, and in order to do so, he'd have to drop his asking price waaaaay down; because of his buddy connections with the Yankees, i'd think the Bombers could get him for 'cheap' - cheap that is for Clemens ($10m and a June start)

[04Forever]

screw him, he missed his shot with the red sox. he couldve taken alittle less money, money he didnt really need anyway, to win a world series and he couldve FINALLY hung up his shoes. he missed his shot, hes over, im so sick of hearing about him and what he is going to do, its a skid mark for the game. now that he couldve possibly have been a cheater after he left boston, really makes me loath this guy.

go to hell roger, nobody likes you anymore

[okojo]

Clemens has priced himself out of the market, given his rather mediocre 2007 2/3rd of the season performance. He gave the Yankees at least a morale boost when they desperately needed it, and some sort of hope when their starting pitching rotation was in shambles. However, a team will take him if he wants something like $6-8 million and has to play the whole season.

The Yankees are better off going with someone else, than getting ripped off by Clemens in 2007.

[metafrantic]

Actually okojo, Clemens only pitched 99 innings last year; that's more like 1/2 a season than 2/3.

what I said about the Red Sox SP all more likely to do well in 2008 than Clemens? I'd say the same thing about the Yankees. Right now the Yanks are looking at Wang/ Pettitte/ Hughes/ Chamberlain/ Kennedy. Even considering the last 3 are all just starting their careers, I'd rather have any of those 5 in the rotation than Clemens.

[casper]

I don't think Boston or NY would touch him.. while I actually don't believe the guy that says Clemens shot up.. I agree with all you guys that he needs to pitch in the NL Central.. There were times when he pitched in 07' that he looked like the great pitcher and kept them in the game.. but, I just wouldn't trust it as a Yankee fan.

I just find it a bit hard to believe that clemens had him on the payroll that long as he has no proof... A bank LEGALLY has to keep a copy of a check for 5 years, and most do it for 7... He could have copies of cancelled checks if Clemens was sending them to him as he said...

[cachhubguy]

I find it hard to believe that Clemens would want his last year to be a year of chants of STEROIDS, STEROIDS, and plastic syringes being thrown at him at visiting parks. Do you think that's the way he wants to go out?

[cachhubguy]

Mclane defended his Tejada acquisition by saying he had no idea that Tejada was on the list. How would he explain signing Clemens? He couldn't lie again.

[ErroRod1985]

After spurning the Red Sox last year, saying he wanted to play for the best team that had a chance to win and not money (even though the Yankees were 10+ games back when he announced it), I'd love to see him having the Barry Bonds treatment. I lost all credibility for him last year, and now, I'd love to see him pitch one more year to those chants.

[mac_1103]

I agree with all those who doubt that the Yankees or Red Sox would be interested. OTOH, I strongly disagree with those who say he's done as a pitcher, or that he sucked last season. He made ten quality starts in 17 tries. He was a more effective pitcher than at least six guys who logged significant time in the Yankees or Red Sox rotations in 2007. In the limited number of innings he did pitch, he was about as good as Pettitte or Matsuzaka. The problem of course, is that he's only good for half a season, and 6 effective innings on a good day during that half a season. That has some value; just not $18M worth.

If McNamee is really lying about Clemens, suing him for defamation would be a much more effective way of clearing his name than trying to come back and pitch again.

[quintjs]

Beckett, Matsuzaka, Schilling, Wakefield, Buchholz, Lester, Tavarez.

All guys I would pitch before Clemens at the moment.

1yr, 400K is the MAX i would do if I were Theo. He isn't that great anymore, he will get injured.

And Clemens already burned the retire in Boston bridge last season anyway.

He is done.

[DunkinDonuts]

If Clemens were to pitch next year, I will bet my pathetic government salary that it will be for more than $12M prorated.

[mac_1103]

"Beckett, Matsuzaka, Schilling, Wakefield, Buchholz, Lester, Tavarez.

All guys I would pitch before Clemens at the moment."

Clemens was a better pitcher than 3 of those guys in 2007, and is a better bet than two of them for 2008.

[cachhubguy]

Pettite just admitted to using HGH. Will Clemens come clean?

[TheCaptain2]

Oddly enough, Clemens' best game this year was against the Red Sox, where he went 6 innings with just 2 hits and 1 run.

[pedroia2007]

LOL to anyone who thinks Roger would sign with the Red Sox, as well as the Red Sox would sign a 46 year old shell of himself. Especially with reports now that he's a cheater of the game.

Ahem... the chance of Sox being interested in Roger will grow if tehy dont land Santana? Umm last I checked last year they were more content with Tavarez/Gabbard as theiur 5th starters than they were with signing Clemens for a half a season

2008
Beckett
Matsuzaka
Schilling
Lester
Wakefield
Buchholz in waiting

Yep the Sox will be desperate to sign Roger!

[coryjwilson]

Clemens needs to stay home and keep a roster spot open for someone who hasn't made a living in baseball yet. It's just getting sad.

[astrosfan]

Clemens and Team Bastard (his agents, the Hendricks brothers) played us Astros fans for big fools last year.

I seriously doubt the Astros have any interest in playing those games again, especially for a broken-down aging steroids user.

Time to hang-em up Rocket.