December 07, 2005
Free Rocket
The Houston Astros did not offer Roger Clemens arbitration today, making it impossible for Clemens to start the season with Houston in 2006.
By refusing to offer Clemens, 43, arbitration by today's 11 p.m. deadline, the Astros accept that their negotiating window with him will be closed until May 1. By then, the 341-game winner will likely be playing elsewhere if he opts against retirement.
Clemens earned $18,000,022 this year, a record for a one-year contract. If the Astros had offered arbitration and he had accepted and taken them to a hearing, he would have earned no less than $15.4 million next season but more likely something in the $20 million range. By offering arbitration, the Astros would have at least extended the negotiating window with Clemens until Jan. 8.
It's an interesting decision. Clemens is still a very good pitcher, although his durability has to be in question. The Astros probably decided that given Roger's likelihood of injury, $15 to $20 million dollars just wasn't worth it. We'll now wait to see if Clemens decides to play somewhere else. If he should retire, he'll certainly be going out on one of the great high notes of all time.
The Astros could still offer Clemens some sort of position within the organization.
I can't think of someone better to put in charge of overseeing the development and conditioning of pitchers in the minor-league system.
He's not going to quit, but where will he go....
Rangers? Dodgers? Yankees?
Or how about the Red Sox? That would be interesting...
well, yall forgetting that roger planning to pitch in that STUPID world classic thing. and i don't see how he can really pitch every 5 days from march to october.
so i don't see him doing that. and i don't see him leaving his family to go back up north neither.
personally i hope he comes back in may and pitches like every 6 days - just home games.
at a low salary of course. he IS still a BIG draw you know
but all this stuff he sayin bout how he won't know if he wanna come back until the end of january is so much horse stuff..
That's exactly how I see it Lisa. Sets him up perfectly; let him hit his stride and close the year strong. The team can make their moves accordingly. I'd be very suprised to see Clemens commit to anyone before the "Classic" concludes.
"i hope he comes back in may and pitches like every 6 days - just home games."
He's the pitcher uniquely positioned to do just that. I'd like to see it happen.
