Astros and Rocket Situation

[BigRocky99]

Just wondering what some of you would do if you were GM or owner of the Astros regarding Clemens. Obviously, his playing or not playing has a major ($18 - $20 mil) impact on the team's budget plus directly impacting free agent signings and trades. I understand him not wanting to commit to playing next season at this time. Yet, the current situation is much like what the Astros got into last season waiting on Beltran. You wait too long and no one is available. They could take Clemens' money and sign another starter and likely another OF. Yet, if he decides in February to play, you have to know that the Astros want him. Very tough for sure.

[sppunk]

The Astros can't do anything until May 1.

[Guest CNOrtega]

I think (aside from the WBC) we've seen the last of Roger Clemens

[ramsn03]

They can do everything, just not with Clemens until May 1. It looks like he is all but gone from Astros, and will probably retire.

[coachb]

why may 1st? doesnt the season start in april? what am i missing?

[sppunk]

Originally posted by coachb

why may 1st? doesnt the season start in april? what am i missing?

If Houston doesn't offer arbitration, and/or if Clemens doesn't accept the offer, he's untouchable for Houston until May 1 and every other MLB team has the right to sign him in between now and then.

[BigRocky99]

NBCSports.com news services

Updated: 4:12 p.m. ET Dec. 7, 2005

DALLAS - The Houston Astros, apparently tired of waiting for an answer from Roger Clemens on whether or not he will play next season, are not expected to offer the pitcher arbitration by the Wednesday night deadline, Fox Sports reported Tuesday.

 

That decision would mean the Astros would be unable to re-sign Clemens before May 1, making a return to Houston unlikely even if he decides not to retire.

 

Clemens could sign with any other team except the Astros before May 1. According to the Fox Sports report, the Yankees and Rangers would likely be interested if Clemens were on the open market.

 

Astros manager Phil Garner says the Astros have to work under the assumption that Clemens won’t be in their starting rotation next season.

 

 

“I don’t think it would be prudent on our part to wait to see what’s going to happen,” Garner said Tuesday. “You try to make sure if we started tomorrow if Rocket wasn’t here, you’d feel like you’d have a good team.”

 

Garner’s preference would be for Clemens to re-sign now with the NL champion Astros.

 

But Clemens’ agent, Randy Hendricks, said this week that the Rocket hasn’t decided if he will pitch again next season, and probably won’t decide until at least late January.

 

“We were hoping to have had something accomplished by now, or earlier, but we certainly have to respect that,” owner Drayton McLane said.

 

“It’s a gut-wrenching, agonizing decision,” general manager Tim Purpura said. “This is a man who led us to the World Series this year, won an ERA title this year. He got us to the NLCS last year. He’s had a tremendous, tremendous effect on this organization.”

 

Purpura said the team hadn’t decided whether to offer arbitration. He said he would discuss the issue with McLane and other team officials, and speak again with Clemens’ agents Wednesday before making a decision.

 

“From a talent point of view, I don’t want to lose him,” Purpura said. “I also realize that we need to improve our club, and it’s very difficult for me to move forward in doing that if I have such uncertainty on whether he’s going to be able to contribute.”

 

McLane understands that Clemens wants to determine if he will be healthy enough to pitch effectively before deciding whether to return for another full season.

 

Clemens had back and hamstring problems this year, but was still 13-8, led the major leagues with a career-best 1.87 ERA and finished third in the NL Cy Young Award voting. He hobbled off the mound after just two innings in the World Series opener against the Chicago White Sox because of a strained left hamstring.

 

With 341 victories, he is ninth on the career list with the most wins among living pitchers. His 4,502 strikeouts are second only to Nolan Ryan’s 5,714.

 

Clemens planned to retire after the 2003 season, and it seemed certain that his start for the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the World Series would be his last. But his buddy Andy Pettitte went to their hometown Astros, and Clemens followed him and won another Cy Young in 2004.

 

While his future with the Astros is uncertain, Clemens is determined to pitch for the United States in the World Baseball Classic next March — even in a limited role, Hendricks said.

[BigRocky99]

More explanation on arbitration, etc in Clemens case: From Astros.com

 

Clemens has made it clear he won't decide whether he'll pitch in 2006 until late January or early February, and the Astros need to move on and build their team assuming the Rocket will retire. But they would like to leave the window open for Clemens to return if he chooses, which means they would have to offer him arbitration.

 

That creates the risk that Clemens will accept arbitration, which could cost the Astros upward of $20 million for a one-year contract. If they assume Clemens is returning, they likely wouldn't be able to add any more payroll in an effort to improve the club.

 

If the Astros offer arbitration, Clemens has until Dec. 19 to accept or reject it. If he accepts, he's considered a signed player. If he rejects it, the Astros have until Jan. 8 to negotiate a contract. If they don't complete a deal, they lose the right to sign Clemens until May 1.

 

If the Astros do not offer arbitration, they can't negotiate with Clemens until May 1. That also opens the window for other clubs to pursue Clemens, although chances that the Rocket would go to another club are slim.

 

The situation will be much clearer late Wednesday night, when the Astros make their call.

[cubs37]

I think he'll come back to Houston. No other team will let him skip all the time like he did with Astros. Not having to go on certain roadtrips, etc... is a must. After pitching in the WBC, he'll have the competitive juices flowing and want to come back. It will be better for him to come later in the season anyway. He'll be fresher for a playoff run and Houston doesn't start playing well until July. :whome:

[EB75]

If Clemens does sign with someone else, the deal would have to be pretty sweet. I feel that he will either get ready to come back by May 1st, with the Astros, or will assume his new role with the organization as a special assistant for the next 10 years. This will give him plenty of opportunity to stay at home, and go travel to see his son play in the minors as well.

[shoelessjoelives]

Watch out for "Ham String Pulling" signs in the road.....;)

[BigRocky99]

The rumors now say that that Rangers and Yankees are the possible teams he will sign with if not with the Astros in May. Personally, I would think the Yankees if not the Astros.

 

I also think that he would have a hard time in playing anywhere but in Houston because of him being near to his home, his travel agreement with the Astros, etc, but you can never tell.

[ramsn03]

It will either be the Astros,Rangers or retirement. I just don't think he wants to go anywhere else, but close to home.

[BigRocky99]

ramsn03, you could be right about the Rangers, but I have my doubts. Geographically, the Rangers would obviously be the right choice for him compared to the Yankees. But, I just don't see it. I think the main reason he came out of retirement to play with the Astros was his friendship with Pettitte, Bagwell, and Biggio PLUS his living in Houston and the contract that let him not travel when he wasn't going to pitch, etc.

 

I said Yankees, if NOT with the Astros in May, because he has said he will go into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee, which tells me that he does have a love for the Yankees. Of course, Stenbrenner will pay him whatever he wants too and another $20 plus mil on their payroll is nothing to him. Yet, the geography associated with playing in NY and living in Houston is one reason he "retired" before. He is also pretty tight with Drayton McLane and I know that he would hate for Clemens to sign with the Rangers (Nolan Ryan deja vu).

 

I do think though it is more likely that he will either be an Astro in May or retire.

[BigRocky99]

From Astros.com 12/16/05

 

Roger Clemens said Thursday night that he will consider four teams if he decides to pitch in 2006: the Red Sox, Astros, Yankees and Rangers.

In his first public comments regarding his future since the World Series, the seven-time Cy Young Award winner also told fans at the Texas Collegiate League Legends dinner at the Renaissance Worthington Hotel in Fort Worth that he was fine with the Astros' decision to not offer him arbitration.

 

Clemens made his comments from the dais, where he was the guest of honor. He took questions from the moderator as well as fans in the audience.

 

When asked if he would consider pitching anywhere but Houston next season, Clemens said: "It's the same players, it's Houston, Texas, New York and Boston. I love all those places, they have great players that I respect very much."

[waggleright]

Roger Clemens is a smart man. He is going to continue saying the same things to keep his options open and not commit to anything too soon. I think he'll gear up for the WBC and if it turns out well, he's an Astro in May. On the other hand, if he has a hard time getting prepared or ends up getting shelled I think he'll hang up the spikes. Sounds to me like he really wants to play with Koby so I think and hope he comes back.

[BigRocky99]

I agree with you waggle.. I also think he may be waiting to see what the Astros do as far as signings, trades, etc. I know he would like to see them have some more offense this next season. He may be waiting also for the other teams as far as what they do or don't in the off season.