Mike & Mike in the Morning reports Cardinals talking to Clemens agent!!!

[redsfan4445]

ARGGGG that would suck if the Cardinals can get Roger Clemens to think about going to St. Louis!!!!

[kbrake]

Will never happen dont worry about it. No way Clemens goes anywhere but New York or Boston. I guess Houston is still a maybe but with Pettitte gone I would think it is unlikely.

[LoganBuck]

My stupid reasoning, I don't care. Eventually age is going to catch him. He is going to require a massive contract for even 4 months of pitching. If the Cardinals want to hamstring themselves around the trade deadline when their offense will probably need a bump, let them.

[TheWalls]

Yawn.

[bucksfan2]

I heard Charles Barkley talking about him on PTI. He was saying Roger retire, you can only pitch 6 innings now. Its time to retire. He made a very good point. Clemens can only throw so many effective pitches in a game. You would be paying a huge premium for him to pitch 6 innings a game over a shorter season.

[Falls City Beer]

Money's no real object to the Cards--and it'd only be a one year commitment. Plus it would likely put them over the top again. If I were the Cards, I'd do it; you'd be beating back any and all challenges from upstarts like the Brewers, say. Also it might allow the Cards to keep Wainwright at closer (which is where he'll have the greatest success). Seems like a slam dunk for the Cards if they can pull it off.

[chettt]

I just wish that Roger Clemens would just go away. Do we really care?

By the way, Roger Clemens record in games that I attended: 0-4.

[NJReds]

Buster Olney came on and basically put that rumor to bed. He said that Clemens wouldn't go to an NL team...esp. an Astros rival.

[Falls City Beer]

Buster Olney came on and basically put that rumor to bed. He said that Clemens wouldn't go to an NL team...esp. an Astros rival.

I'd say it's pretty unlikely. But it's not impossible.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

Kind of off-topic, but I think it'd be interesting to see Clemens pull a Smoltz and play the full year all while reducing his workload by giving closing a shot. I know it would never happen, but I wouldn't mind seeing how it would work out.

[NJReds]

I'd say it's pretty unlikely. But it's not impossible.


Apparently he has some kind of personal services contract with the Astros. I'm not sure what that means, exactly. But he's spent all of training camp with Houston, throwing BP mostly.

[Highlifeman21]

Apparently he has some kind of personal services contract with the Astros. I'm not sure what that means, exactly. But he's spent all of training camp with Houston, throwing BP mostly.

It means he can work out with the team while not being property of the team. He had the same thing last year. It eliminates the Astros from any liability if The Rocket suffers an injury at their complex. I'm sure Clemens is just still technically an "Astro" to oversee the development of his son.

[jojo]

My stupid reasoning, I don't care. Eventually age is going to catch him. He is going to require a massive contract for even 4 months of pitching. If the Cardinals want to hamstring themselves around the trade deadline when their offense will probably need a bump, let them.

Here's the kicker though.... last year, over the 115 innings he pitched, Clemens would've been the best starter on the Reds considering xFIP, K/G,BB/G and GB%. I don't think adding a #1 starter via a short term commitment by simply throwing money at him is all that unattractive of a proposition if you're in a pennant race.... In fact, it's a great idea.

[Falls City Beer]

Apparently he has some kind of personal services contract with the Astros. I'm not sure what that means, exactly. But he's spent all of training camp with Houston, throwing BP mostly.

No silly little contract is going to prevent Clemens from accepting $20 million dollars next season from the Cards if the Stros can't match it.

[redsfan4445]

this was posted this afternoon on mlbtraderumors.com

"Cards Hope To Woo Clemens
The big story this morning: Walt Jocketty and co. met at length with Roger Clemens's agent Randy Hendricks yesterday. Other clients' of Hendricks were the main topic, but Roger's name came up. Unlike this winter's Barry Bonds rumor, Jocketty isn't denying interest.

The Cardinals have some extra money after missing out on various pitching targets this winter. Clemens is quite a longshot, but it's certainly fun to speculate. This is the single move with the largest possible impact for St. Louis. Adding 100 innings of the Rocket would probably improve the Cardinals by 3-4 wins, based on PECOTA's projected WARP. And Murray Chass just stopped reading this post.

Aside from Clemens, the Cards could pursue Carl Pavano, Jon Lieber, or Brad Penny. Penny is the possible impact arm and of course would draw much more interest if he's available. His overall impact would probably be similar to that of Clemens, but the bounty is to be paid in prospects. Colby Rasmus, Jaime Garcia, and Chris Duncan could be targets of L.A.

[PuffyPig]

Clemens won't make his descision as to where he will go until he see's who may be making the playoffs. That's one of the reasons he doesn't like to committ himself until after the season starts.

If the Astros and Yankees aren't in the race, I think the cards (assuming they are) would interest Roger.

In reality, any playoff bound team with a big cheque book would interest Roger.

[pedro]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/E259F6C2F0FB8460862572900016E549?OpenDocument

JUPITER, Fla. — Described more as fanciful thinking than a realistic hope, the Cardinals recently told agents representing seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens that they are interested should the 44-year-old expand his list of potential 2007 landing spots beyond Houston, New York and Boston.

General manager Walt Jocketty, assistant general manager John Mozeliak and vice president of player personnel Jerry Walker met at length Monday morning at a nearby coffee shop with one of Clemens' lead agents, Alan Hendricks, and two associates. Much of their two-hour meeting focused on Hendricks clients Braden Looper and Kip Wells, but Clemens was discussed.

"I guess you would always have interest in a guy like that," Jocketty said. "He's someone we've expressed interest in before. I'm not sure it would be mutual, though. There are so many factors involved it would be pretty tough to do any deal with them. You never know."

One club official played down the Cardinals' chances of landing Clemens to "1 million to 1."


Asked his opinion, pitching coach Dave Duncan said he had not been approached regarding Clemens and estimated the odds of pulling such a coup as "more like 2 million to 1."

In December, the Cardinals made an eleventh-hour push for free-agent lefthander Andy Pettitte, another Hendricks client, shortly before Pettitte signed a one-year contract to return to the New York Yankees.

The Cardinals also bid for Clemens before he signed as a free agent with the Houston Astros in 2004.

Jocketty, who has also put out trade feelers for starting pitching, acknowledged that he is intrigued by Clemens' availability while trying to suppress any irrational expectations.

A high-ranking club official unaware of Monday's meeting conceded the club "would have to be interested" if Clemens became available for bid.

The Cardinals retain significant financial flexibility after failed attempts to sign free agents Pettitte, Randy Wolf, Jason Schmidt, Miguel Batista and Jeff Weaver, Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said recently.

Clemens, a Houston resident, is believed to be leaning toward returning to the Astros should they appear competitive when he decides in May or June.

The Cardinals' best opportunity would rest with the Astros faltering early and Clemens reconsidering a return to either the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees. A contending St. Louis club also would be a geographical fit for a player who last year was allowed to miss selected road series when not scheduled to pitch.

After contemplating retirement, Clemens last June re-signed with Houston. His contract was worth about $12 million, prorated over 19 starts that covered 113 1/3 innings.

Clemens was 38-18 in 84 starts with ERAs of 2.98, 1.87 and 2.30 the past three seasons. He completed only one start.

Manager Tony La Russa declined to address the matter at length Tuesday, citing its potential as "a distraction" as the Cardinals piece together a rotation including Chris Carpenter, Wells and five candidates for three remaining spots.

The Cardinals believe Adam Wainwright will secure one spot if Jason Isringhausen is available as the closer. Anthony Reyes is also a strong candidate after making 17 regular-season starts and winning Game 1 of the World Series as a rookie. Duncan established veteran reliever Looper as the favorite to win the fifth spot but also cited Ryan Franklin and Brad Thompson as alternatives.

Non-roster lefthander Randy Kiesler also has left a strong first impression, said Duncan, who challenged the notion that he is working with little safety net should someone falter this spring.

Duncan said he hopes to have his rotation set around March 18, when the club returns from a two-game trip to Orlando, where it plays the Atlanta Braves. The Cardinals, meanwhile, will survey available trade avenues for starting pitching. The Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and Yankees offer potential help; but the Cardinals admit to only tepid interest in the Phillies' Jon Lieber and oft-injured Yankees enigma Carl Pavano.

The Dodgers' Brad Penny represents a more attractive target. Signed through 2008 with a club option for 2009, the 28-year-old thrower also fits the Cardinals' financial profile. Coming off a 16-9 record and 4.33 ERA, Penny is due $7.5 million this season and $8.5 million in 2008 with an option for $8.75 million in '09. (The Cardinals committed $13 million to lefthander Mark Mulder this winter, though Mulder will miss at least three months this season rehabilitating from rotator cuff surgery.)

Penny struck out 148 in 189 innings last season and was named his league's starting pitcher in the All-Star Game. His 16 wins tied for the league lead.

"You can look at any time," Duncan said. "You're going to listen to names."

[Reds Fanatic]

Clemens has told the Cardinals he is not interested and will only play for the Astros, Red Sox or Yankees.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17192522/


KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The St. Louis Cardinals contacted Roger Clemens to see if he would be interested in ending his retirement and pitching for the defending champions, but he said no thanks, the Houston Chronicle reported Wednesday.

“Let me repeat: Houston, Boston, New York,” said Clemens' agent, Randy Hendricks. “One of only three teams will be picked if he plays, and he hasn’t decided. I don’t know why they think they have to start the story over again.

“He’s going to play for Houston if he plays in the National League,” Hendricks added.

Last week, on his first day at Houston Astros camp, Roger Clemens threw pitches and hit grounders to his son, Koby. That’s about all the baseball he feels like playing right now.

The seven-time Cy Young Award winner is no closer to deciding whether he’ll play a 24th major league season.

“Everybody knows where I stand. I don’t care to play, but if that decision comes up again, then it’s a big decision on me,” Clemens said Thursday. “It has nothing to do with anybody else. It’s a decision on me to go out and perform.”

If he comes back, the 44-year-old pitching great said he’ll choose between his hometown Astros, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

Clemens said he’s not “milking” his decision in search of the highest bidder. He also said he’ll have no problem walking away when the time comes.

“It’s 10 times harder to make the decision to come back and try to do it again,” he said. “I love what I do and I have high expectations to perform. When I don’t, it’s disappointing.”

Clemens is on an easier workout regimen now than he was when he arrived at spring training last year to prepare for the World Baseball Classic.

He said Thursday he feels “very good” and “strong,” but knows that the older he gets, the harder it will be to get himself prepared for another season.

“At one point, it’s not going to work out,” he said. “These are the questions I have to ask myself, that’s why I push myself so hard to find out before I get to that moment.”

Clemens said he’ll wait until his agents, Alan and Randy Hendricks, get an offer he can’t refuse before he amps up his workout regimen. And even then, he might have doubts.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen two months from now,” Clemens said. “I could get into the middle of a training session and know that I just can’t do it. That would be the easiest call for me to make.”

Koby Clemens, a third baseman starting his second full season in the Astros’ minor league system, said his father told him last week he was “80-20” leaning toward not coming back. Then again, after the 2003 season Clemens said there was a 99 percent chance he would retire.

“It’s a pretty serious number right now,” said Koby, the oldest of Clemens’ four sons. “I go, ’Dad, right now, on the spot, if they asked you are you coming back or not, what are your percentages now?’ He said, ‘80-20.’ I go, ’Coming back or sitting out the year?’ And he goes, ’Probably sitting out the year.’ That was it.”

On Thursday, Clemens wore a black Astros cap, black Astros T-shirt and white pants. But he said that doesn’t mean he’s favoring them over the Yankees or Red Sox.

The fact that his son plays in the Astros’ farm system doesn’t give them an edge, he said.

“He’s concentrating on what he needs to do,” Clemens said. “He doesn’t really care either way. That was the first time he really asked me, the other day in the gym.”

Clemens said he has no favorite team right now, saying he still feels just as attached to Toronto, where he played in 1997 and ’98.

“I’ve been real fortunate,” he said. “I’ve tried to hold up my end of the deal with all four clubs I’ve been with. I still feel a part of all four of them.”

While in Florida, Clemens says he is content to hang around the spring training complex and advise younger players. He’ll also host some charity events.

“What you saw me do today is what I plan on doing for the next month,” he said. “Right now, it’s going to be a slow, dead period. I’m doing what I love to do. I’m going to be running around here, throwing batting practice. I’ll throw BP to the big guys if they need it. There won’t be a lot of moss growing under my feet.”

Clemens, who signed a $22 million contract with the Astros to pitch half of last season, didn’t start in a major league game until June 22. He finished 7-6 with a 2.30 ERA in 19 starts.

If he returns, Clemens said he won’t pitch until at least May. He said how the three teams are doing at that time won’t affect his decision.

But Clemens said he’ll only come back if he feels as though he can help one of them contend.

“You come back to win, you come back to win it all,” he said. “Your goals are set really high. I feel very flattered that those three teams still make an occasional phone call to the Hendricks brothers to ask where I’m at.”

[crazybob60]

If this did go down and Clemens did join the Cards, say around the time he joined the Astros last season, that means that the Cards would be getting both Clemens and Mulder for the first time this season at around June/July. I know that getting Clemens is basically a pipedream for them, but can you imagine that starting trio of Clemens/Mulder/Carpenter around the end of August if they are all healthy and going strong? Wouldn't want to face that!!!

[reds44]

Tim Kurkjian (sp??) said there was 0 chance of this happening.

[PuffyPig]

I know that getting Clemens is basically a pipedream for them, but can you imagine that starting trio of Clemens/Mulder/Carpenter around the end of August if they are all healthy and going strong? Wouldn't want to face that!!!


I wouldn't want to face any major league pitcher who is "healthy and going strong".