US Sport story by Dominic Taylor, Sat, 10 Dec 2005 19:00:00 GMT


DALLAS - Roger Clemens, aka the Rocket, will not be re-signing with the Houston Astros' after the management decided not to offer him salary arbitration. This means that Clemens can only sign, that is if all things go right, only after May 1.

This decision was announced by the Astros' general manager Tim Purpura. "We need to move forward and we don't know just what Roger's status will be for next year. He's 43 years old and I think he has some questions about how much more he can take," he said.

Purpura also said that the recent death of Clemens mother was also a factor that could not be waved away since it was bound to have some affect the Rocket's will to compete. Clemens' agents, Randy and Alan Hendricks, had made it clear that their client would decide on returning only by the end of January or early February next year.

"I'll tell you what, we aren't going to play in the Independent League," Randy Hendricks said. "We aren't going to play for the Long Island Ducks." Astros' decided that they could not wait. The club will now be saving more than $15.4 million as a result of refusing to offer salary arbitration to their star. It is expected that the Houston Astros' would be on the market to make some real quick signings.

So what of Clemens' future? He has already indicated that he would be playing for the United States team in the World Baseball Classic scheduled to be held in March and if he shines in that tournament (there is no reason why he should not), then the offers could come in thick and fast. It is of general knowledge that the Yankees have evinced more than a passing interest in the Rocket, but lately have said that they'll just wait and watch.

When specifically asked if a move was possible, Yankee's GM Brian Cashman only said, "We all know who Roger Clemens is and how special a player he is, but all this is for another time. I will be engaging all players on the free-agent market." But there's also a chance that the Astros' could hang onto him though they would have to wait until May 1.

Roger Clemens has 341 career victories with 4,502 strikeouts in his career and those statistics only mean that it will not be long before we see him on the pitching mound. Whether it is for Astros' or the Yanks' or any others, only time will tell.

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