I am not really sure I understand why he needs $22 million for another season, to be honest. That figure is not the end-all-be-all salary for him if he plays in 2005, I think, since they can negotiate a bit. Also, the guy IS one of the game's great pitchers, so if a guy was going to be earning the top salary in MLB for pitchers, he could be the guy. $22 million though? Is that what he decided it would be worth to postpone retirement? I was under the impression that he was only pitching last year to win a ring for his "hometown" team, which was why he played last year for $5 million. Doesn't this seriously hamper Houston's ability to improve the team having lost Beltran, Kent, and Miller, in addition to putting one more year's age on Biggio and Bagwell? I know I have never been in a position to make millions, so even $100,000 would be a wet dream for me personally, but I cannot fathom that the Clemens family doesn't have enough money.
A lot of people don't realize what's really going on. They view life as a bunch of unconnected incidents and things. They don't realize that there's this, like, lattice of coincidence that lays on top of everything. Give you an example, show you what I mean: suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.
Clemens strikes me as a guy who at this point would be happy pitching or retiring. He has stated that he wants to start the clock ticking on getting into the HOF while his mother is alive to see it, but he's also proven that he still has what it takes to be a great pitcher in the league. So hey, why not shoot for the stars and see what you can get? If you aren't satisfied with the dough, pack up for Cooperstown and call it a day.
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Well the problem is they waited too long trying to get Beltran, I'm not sure what's out there left for them to get. But you're right, it is kind of weird how he was thinking about retiring but would've come back if Beltran stayed because they would have a better chance of winning. But if they had gotten Beltran surely they couldn't give this much money to Clemens. So did he really want Beltran to stay and take less money and try and win or is he glad Beltran left so he could get more money?
He brings in a lot of revenue for the team, but 22million is a tad steep for a guy who plays every 5th day. If he comes back I'm sure they will meet somewhere in the middle and avoid arbitration.
Clemens also had a special deal where he only had to show up to the games every 5th day and gets 80% time off. At this point there is nobody left for the Astros to sign. They may as well give Beltran's money to Clemens. The teams $13.5 mil offer is more fair...Closer to Randy Johnson's $16.5. The arbitration case if it gets that far would be a circus with the team trying to downplay his Cy Young award winning year.
Originally posted by skorpio17 The arbitration case if it gets that far would be a circus with the team trying to downplay his Cy Young award winning year.
Still, can he justify 22 mil? I know that he's the Cy Young winner and all, but that's a lot of scratch. Johan Santana got 5 or 6 million from the Twins in arbitration, and I know that I'd surely rather have him right now especially for about a Quarter of the salary. A million dollars a win is just way too much. Even though the Unit is getting paid more than that, based on last year.
I was really ready to bust out a "Roger is the anti-Christ" post, but then in the paper I read that he wears #22 (which everyone, including me, knew) AND it will be his 22nd season next year, so I think asking for $22 million is damn FUNNY.
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I thought that what would happen in the end is that Houston would offer something like $17M and that would end up as the compromise to avoid arbitration, although it turns out Clemens scored a little better than that.
No $22M salary, but it's still the highest salary for a pitcher in history at $18M.
So is Houston actually going to be able to win? Eating $18 mil off of the team's budget doesn't exactly enable them to sign (or trade for, at this point) any major salaries to improve the team. Is $23 mil a good deal for a Cy Young winner for two years ($18 this year, $5 last year)? Heck, I do believe that's a bargain in this market.
If Rocket's whole idea was to win a title for the hometown boys though, this officially deems him full of shit. Or did that happen in 1997? Or 1999? Or 2004?
A lot of people don't realize what's really going on. They view life as a bunch of unconnected incidents and things. They don't realize that there's this, like, lattice of coincidence that lays on top of everything. Give you an example, show you what I mean: suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.
Originally posted by jfkfcIs $23 mil a good deal for a Cy Young winner for two years ($18 this year, $5 last year)? Heck, I do believe that's a bargain in this market.
$11.5 million a year for two years of Clemens, as good as he was last year, seems fine. I don't know that it's a bargain. "Cy Young winner" overrates him though. I mean I know he won it but he wasn't really the best pitcher in the NL, which that would imply. He got it because baseball writers voted for him so in terms of figuring out whether or not he's worth the money, winning an award is somewhat irrelevant as compared to what he actually did. "Really good and reliable top of the rotation pitcher" is a lot more accurate.
If he's as good as last year ('04 being easily his best season since '98) or even if he's a little worse, he won't be worth $18 million, but he may be worth $11.5 million, I guess. Basically to be worth $18 million Clemens would have to put up numbers similar to his '90 or '97 years, and I don't think that's happening.
With Oswalt/Clemens at the top of the rotation the Astros still have a fighting chance, but it depends on what the Cardinals do with a new middle infield, plus what Mulder gives (or doesn't give) them and how Matt Morris rebounds from a pretty mediocre '04. I don't know if Houston will have the hitting honestly.
Only if Burke pans out at 2b ...or Lane comes hard will this team do what it needs to do.. and that would be to stay within reach till July.. just as they did last year..and THEN pick up a horse or two to try and replicate what they did last season..........
Pettitte and Backe don't scare me. Not in the least. Pettitte's been pretty mediocre in the regular season, and it seems like he's always nursing some minor injury. And Backe finished up last season nicely, but I'd like to see him do it over a full year as a starter. He'd been used primarily as a reliever in his minor leauges, and got knocked around his fair share.
I still like the front three starters plus Backe, then Redding/Munroe ..and if they hang around in the division till mid-season... they pick up a guy or two... who knows?
Lots of teams wish they had these pitching problems.....
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