Yankees Should Resist the Urge to Re-sign Roger Clemens

Now that Andy Pettitte is back in fold for the New York Yankees, we send out a post-Christmas plea to general manager Brian Cashman: don't do it, don't fall prey to the temptation of re-signing Roger Clemens, resist at all costs.

When Clemens originally signed with the Yankees in 1999, he took Pettitte under his wing and the two pitchers became best buddies. Clemens was all set to retire following the 2003 season, or so he said. But a funny thing happened on Clemens'
road to retirement. The Yankees let Pettitte get away and he signed with the Houston Astros, allowing the Texas native to return to his home state.

Well, lo and behold, Clemens decided to un-retire (what a surprise!) and he also signed with the Astros. Clemens, another Texas native, offered two reasons for changing his mind: Playing for the Astros would allow him to be close to his family and re-unite him with Pettitte, his new best friend. At the time, Clemens
claimed he would not have un-retired had Pettitte not signed with Houston. Whatever.

Personally, I never really believed Clemens was ready to walk away from the game he loves despite his assurances to the contrary. He was too productive and too competitive to quit. Clemens' so-called 2003 "farewell tour" was a joke as he made suckers out of his admirers. Remember the standing ovation he received from the Florida Marlins' fans when he was lifted from Game Four of the 2003 World Series? That was supposed to be his last appearance in the major leagues, until several million greenbacks helped him have a change of heart.

So here we are again, three years later. As soon as the Yankees re-signed Pettitte, the inevitable speculation spread like wild fire: would Clemens also be coming back to the Bronx? That's because it seems Pettitte and Clemens have been joined at the hip.

While Clemens' on-again, off-again talk of retirement is annoying, as far as I am concerned, he can pitch until he's 60 if he wants. I just don't want it to be in pinstripes.

That is not to say he wouldn't be productive, wouldn't win his 12 or 13 games even at age 44, especially with the Yankees' potent offense. He could fit into the back end of the rotation and certainly would be better than some of the Yankees' recent busts (Jeff Weaver, Jose Contreras, Javier Vazquez and Carl Pavano). Given the way he keeps himself in shape, there's no reason to think that Clemens couldn't pitch in the major leagues for another two or three seasons and pile up 25-30 more wins.

My main objection with Clemens coming back to the Yankees is that it would be
like a freak show, another big name on a team filled with big names, another case of style over substance. The Yankees desperately need to develop young pitchers, not hand a spot in the rotation to a 44-year-old. Phillip Hughes, the Yankees' top minor league prospect, may need another year of seasoning at Class AAA but he also might be ready to make the jump to the big club in 2007.

Re-signing Clemens would show the Yankees are still living in the past. Some have criticized the Pettitte signing for the same reason, pointing out that Pettitte has had recent arm trouble and isn't the same pitcher he was five years ago.

I don't share that view. Pettitte is only 34, a baby by Yankee standards. He has four rings, is beloved by the fans and never should have left in the first place. Having grown up in the organization, Pettitte understands what the Yankees are about, knows how to win in October (are you listening, Mike Mussina?) Perhaps he can restore the passion and fire that have been lacking in the Bronx in recent years.

But let's not kid ourselves about Pettitte either. He will forever be a great Yankee, but the only reason he's back is because the Yankees offered him $16 million and the Astros "only" $12 million.

It's always about the money, which is why I believe Clemens will return in 2007, if not with the Yankees, then with somebody else. But would anybody really be surprised if the "Rocket" is wearing a Yankees' uniform next summer?

There is no truth to the rumor, however, that the Yankees are trying to talk Whitey Ford out of retirement.