Rockets Rumor Soar

[BuckFoston]

It is a scene that stirs hearts from the corridors of power at the Stadium to the Barcalounger of any Yankee fan, to perhaps, Roger Clemens' sprawl in a Houston suburb: The Rocket, back in pinstripes, riding to the Yankees' rescue like some flame-throwing cowboy.

But how possible is a reunion between one of baseball's all-time greats and its most famous team? Depends on who's talking.

The struggling Astros say they are not shopping their ace, but their owner did not rule it out. Clemens recently said, "I'm not going anywhere now, I know that for sure," but he didn't invoke his no-trade clause or slam the door, either. Some rival baseball executives believe Houston will deal Clemens for future help if it continues to stumble, especially if the Astros find a rich contender willing to rent him for half a season.

The Yankees, meanwhile, watch with interest, but no public comment. Privately, they wonder if Clemens has a handshake deal with Houston owner Drayton McLane that would trigger a trade to the Yankees if Clemens wanted out. And what it would take to bring Clemens back.

"This," said a National League executive, "is going to be something to watch."

Right now, according to McLane and his general manager, Tim Purpura, there is nothing to see. One of the worst teams in the National League, the Astros have gotten off to a terrible start, but both men stressed in recent telephone interviews that Clemens was not being shopped.

Purpura apologized for the vehemence of his answer. "I hope you don't think I'm being rude, but Roger is not on the market and that's where it stands," he said. "We're trying to get our ship righted here. What Roger has communicated to me and what his agents have communicated to me is that it's a non-issue. We have to move on here. We have to get ourselves going."

"Trading him has never been a consideration," added McLane. "There has not been one discussion about trading Roger. So the Yankees need to look elsewhere for another pitcher."

But the owner also admitted, "You look at every situation. If there's any reason, you'd consider it. We traded Richard Hidalgo last season because he wanted to leave Houston and he had a contract."

Asked if he had a handshake deal with Clemens to trade him to the Yankees if the season went sour, McLane said: "No more than you have with any other player. It's no different than with any other player."

Clemens, 42, said he would retire after the 2003 season, but decided to sign with his hometown Astros after Andy Pettitte did. Clemens won his seventh Cy Young award last season, then hedged last winter before deciding to return. He signed a one-year deal for $18 million.

In '04, he made $6.8 million, and the Astros enjoyed a bump in attendance from 2.45 million to 3.09 million.

Clemens has a special arrangement with the Astros that allows him to follow his own schedule. If he is not pitching during a road series, he has the option of staying in Houston. The pitcher enjoyed being able to watch his four sons play sports last season. "Roger helped revitalize baseball in Houston," McLane said. "He is a vital part of our franchise."

But Clemens never rejects the possibility of a trade. During Sunday night's ESPN broadcast of the Giants-Astros game, Joe Morgan asked Clemens if he would consider pitching elsewhere this season. Clemens said only, "I'm not going anywhere now, I know that for sure."

In an interview published in The Sporting News, Clemens was asked if he could envision finishing his career with someone else. Clemens called the question "almost comical," then added, "but it might not be when you get to late July, whenever the trading deadline is. You don't know what direction (the Astros are) going to go in." One American League executive opined, "Roger might be banging the drums for it behind the scenes."

Of course, Clemens has the ultimate control. There is a full no-trade provision in his contract. "And if we did ask him if he'd accept a trade, someone would have to pay him an additional $3 million," Purpura said. "Any club in position to have the luxury tax imposed would have huge tax implications, and then there's the consideration of what would have to come back to us."

For a change, the Yankees might have what it takes, prospect-wise, to get a deal done. As part of their shakeup during their early season slump, they promoted rookie second baseman Robinson Cano, who has been one of their hottest hitters. Chien-Ming Wang took Jaret Wright's spot in the rotation and has pitched well, giving the Yankees two potential trading chips.

The Astros lost a lot of offense last winter when Carlos Beltran and Jeff Kent left as free agents. This season, Lance Berkman missed the first month and Jeff Bagwell went on the disabled list after having surgery on his shoulder.

Joe Torre has said Cano reminds him of Rod Carew and perhaps he'd be a good mix with young Astro third baseman Morgan Ensberg, who McLane is particularly proud of. Of course, the Yankees might not be the only suitors. Clemens has a good relationship with Curt Schilling, which might facilitate a return to Boston.

Still, the Astros say nothing is imminent.

They might be willing to wait longer than most teams before conceding the season, since they were 10½ games out at the All-Star break last year and ended up winning the wild card.

"We have dominant pitching and that's what wins championships," Purpura said. "So for us to consider tearing this apart now is ludicrous."

Told the Astros are clinging to hope, an NL executive said, "Don't let them kid you, they're thinking of trading him right now. They're not going anywhere now and not for a long time."

Other executives disagree.

"He's someone they won't move because he means more to them long-term this year than just as a player for the Yankees," one AL executive said. "Why would they let him finish his career as a Yankee rather than as an Astro? It's like having the Mona Lisa, you just hang it right where you are."http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/story/310573p-265720c.html

[Hammer]

Cano and Wang? **** him, sit in Houston. Hell, either one I wouldn't deal... especially Robinson. Especially Robinson.

[Saber]

Cano and Wang is a small price for the Yankees to pay, much too small. Any deal would have the Yankees take the contract and then some, and probably cough up Eric Duncan.

[love_that_reefer]

The Astros have no need for Cano. The Astros have Chris Burke. Wang is pretty weak too. The Astros need OFers and GOOD pitching for Roger. I hope the Astros don't get raped in any deal like this. Kind of how they raped the Royals for Beltran.

[Hammer]

For a 41 year old man... I have to give up the best prospect in the system, plus a pure hitting 2nd baseman, and a decent middle of the line pitcher for the future? **** that.

[joek]

Hammer: We don't have to give up anything for him, and hopefully won't. But if it where up to me, I would give them Arod.

[Miss November]

We already did this with Randy Johnson and frankly, I don't wanna do it again. Let's keep our up-and comings for once especially ones as good as Wang and Cano and especially not for no 41-yr old. If we wanna win the World Series in 2005, sure we should get Clemens, but if we wanna keep winning World Series after that, then we shouldn't. Our rotation is old enough as it is. And I don't wanna take anything away from Clemens and the superb job he's doing, but the AL and the NL are 2 different leagues. The AL is infested with high powered offenses as opposed to the NL. I don't know if Clemens would fare the same. Take the All-Star game as an example.

[joek]

Very wise observations Miss November. Kudos, props, and all that.

[Saber]

Neither Cano nor Wang have the history to suggest they would be more than useful players for a few years. That said, they will at least have some value going forward. Clemens, by himself, cannot take the Yankees to the playoffs, and at 54 years old, isn't in the Yankees future.

[RLA68]

The point is that why should the Yankees give up their best young players for a rent a player? We have no guarantees what he would do here and he walks after October.

The only more ignorant statement was to trade ARod rather than our young talent. We do not need Rocket unless he is given to us for virtually nothing.

[General]

If we give up either Cano, Wang, or Duncan, George Steinbrenner be damned! Honestly, we can't keep doing this shit. I thought Claussen for Boone was bad; this would be terrible.

[Veovis]

Boone did produce one of the more memorable swings in baseball history for us though. Was it worth it? I didn't think so at the time but that eventually led us to getting A-Rod.

Of course, I would be pretty pissed if we traded away Cano or Wang... or Duncan for Roger who will probably post an ERA around 4 for us rather than that 1.11 spot he is putting up now.

[redsrbetter]

More on this:

May 22, 2005
Roger Clemens will very likely wind up back with the Yankees this summer for two reasons, according to a person familiar with the Astros' situation: 1) Clemens feels bad about the way his return to baseball upset Yankees fans, and 2) Drayton McLane would "oblige" Clemens, a personal favorite.

Newsday reported Feb. 6 that McLane and Clemens have a side agreement to trade Clemens to the Yankees - but only the Yankees - if Houston falls out of the race, and McLane's murky denials haven't convinced those in the know that he won't do exactly that.

McLane is one of those too-involved owners. You know the type. "He's the Steinbrenner of the South," one NL exec said, "but with one-tenth Steinbrenner's baseball knowledge."

Incidentally, the Astros - and everyone besides St. Louis - are within weeks of falling out of it in the NL Central. As one Cardinals official put it, "I don't see how we don't win this thing."

http://www.newsday.com/sports/printe...y-sports-print

[love_that_reefer]

Cano and Wang are the future now? You guys are fooling yourselves. These teams are built to win now and not later. Like I said before, these "top prospects" aren't even worthy of getting Clemens. The Astros sure as hell don't need them.

[redsrbetter]

Exactly reefer. Wang and Cano have been called up just to be used as trade bait. I remember when the Griffey rumors were spreading, it was supposed to be for Wang and Cano. No way they are worth Clemens. This move alone would be called a firesale.