Has Roger Clemens fired his last fastball as a Yankee, seven wins shy of 300 victories?
Was the pitch Adam Kennedy hit for a single in the sixth inning of Game 1 in the ALDS Clemens’ final act in pinstripes?
Those are questions without answers at this point. But after being mum on the subject since being ousted in the first round by the Angels, the Yankees have to tip their hand a bit about the 40-year-old Clemens’ Yankee future by midnight tonight.
By then, the Yankees have to offer salary arbitration to Clemens, Ramiro Mendoza, Mike Stanton, John Vander Wal, Ron Coomer and Chris Widger – or lose negotiating rights with them until after next season starts, and not receive compensation draft picks if some other teams sign Clemens, Stanton or Mendoza.
The Yankees made a one-year, take-it-or-leave-it offer to Stanton yesterday that the lefty rejected as insulting. But they still can offer him arbitration.
It’s likely the Yanks will offer arbitration to Clemens and Mendoza, but may need to know from the players if arbitration will be accepted.
The players have until Dec. 19 to accept or reject it. Often the club and player have a side agreement that allows the club to offer knowing the player will eventually reject it.
By offering Clemens arbitration the Yankees buy themselves time to continue negotiating with him while talking to the Expos about acquiring Bartolo Colon.
However, Clemens’ agent, Randy Hendricks, said he didn’t know what the Yankees were going to do about salary arbitration for his client, who made $15 million last year, when he was 13-6 with a 4.35 ERA.
As far as Mendoza, the Yankees certainly believe he helps their bullpen, but Mendoza may be a victim of the new financial climate that is smothering the Yankees and forcing GM Brian Cashman to unload Raul Mondesi ($7 million), Rondell White ($6 million) and Sterling Hitchcock ($6 million).
“We will find out [today],” Mendoza’s agent, Fernando Cuza, said yesterday. “There has been interest from a lot of other teams who are waiting to see what happens [today]. Some teams have expressed a desire to have Ramiro start for them.”
The Yankees and Mendoza talked about a three-year deal in spring training, but the club was unwilling to go higher than $3 million per year and Mendoza wanted more.
Even though Hendricks doesn’t believe the Yankees will deal Andy Pettitte, another client, the Phillies plan on talking to the Yankees about what it would take to get the left-hander after Tom Glavine signed with the Mets.
“They told us if Glavine falls through, let us know [about Pettitte],” a Phillies source said.
The Yankees talked briefly to the Phillies at the GM meetings last month and asked for stud pitcher Brett Myers but were turned down.
George Steinbrenner and Joe Torre want Clemens back. And Hendricks hasn’t talked to any other club but the Yankees.
Yet with a very good chance to obtain Colon from the Expos the Yankees have shown serious interest and may decide the 27-year-old Colon replaces Clemens in the rotation.
Now that Expo GM Omar Minaya knows he has to trim payroll, he will aggressively shop Colon while holding onto Vladimir Guerrero and Javier Vasquez.