Should the Yankees sign Roger Clemens?
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by user Timothy Moreland (Bball3345)
After moving to Houston, Roger Clemens posted an ERA under 3.00 in his three seasons. Considering Houston is a hitter's park, this makes his minuscule ERA even more impressive. In this time, Clemens has shown no signs of age, likely a factor of only pitching part of the season last year. His strikeout rate has remained strong, and his control has actually improved. In the AL, Clemens ERA would see a slight jump, but remain not too far north of 3.00, making him one of the top pitchers in the league.
Not only would Clemens be an ace, but he would be pitching in the biggest market in baseball. The Yankees can more than afford the price of Clemens contract, and it would be a short-term deal, so the high price would not hurt them down the stretch. Also, consider the Yankees will be in a close competition with the Red Sox and possibly the Blue Jays for a spot in the playoffs. More than likely, Clemens will do what he did last year and not join the team until halfway into the season. Adding an ace like Roger Clemens part way through the season would still easily give them a bump of 5 extra wins. This would make the Yankees close to shoo-ins for the playoffs. The extra playoff revenues would more than make up for the dollar value of Roger Clemens' contract.
Overall, a mere $16-$18 million could buy the Yankees a one year commitment to a Cy-Young caliber pitcher and a ticket to playing in October. All signs point to this contract being well worth the money.
