Fresh Start With Old Blood?

The New York Yankees are off to a 17-19 start as we are in the second full week of May. The best team $200 million plus can buy isn't in any kind of uncharted territory record wise. However, owner George Steinbrenner looks at the standings today and sees his expensive roster trailing the Boston Red Sox by an alarming 8.5 games already. The solution for Steinbrenner, never one to wait patiently for anything, was to throw more money at his aging roster by signing 44-year-old future Hall of Fame flamethrower Roger Clemens to a prorated $28 million dollar contract for this year.

Clemens is already on the way back to the Yankees, throwing 71 pitches in a bullpen session today and will soon start working his way into game shape by taking his own spring training tour through New York's minor league system. The hope for the Yankees is that Clemens can still handle the American League East and help a rotation that currently ranks 10th in the American League in starter's ERA and has used 10 different starters in their 36 games to date and get them back into the race for another World Series title. The decision for Clemens came down to winning and money, but how will it work? Let's take a look at what Roger Clemens has done in his three seasons with Houston since he left the Yankees (listed are wins, ERA, and league ERA and the difference between the two):

2004: 18 wins, 2.98 ERA , 4.31 league-ERA, -1.33 Difference
2005: 13 wins, 1.87 ERA, 4.14 league-ERA, -2.27 Difference
2006: 7 wins, 2.30 ERA, 4.54 league-ERA, -2.24 Difference

(Note: 19 starts in 2006 after making his first start June 22nd)

As evidenced by his age 41, 42, and 43 seasons, the man can still pitch. Clemens won a Cy Young in 2004, should have won another in 2005, and pitched more than two full runs better than the average pitcher in the NL last year. At this contract, this is a risk only the Yankees could truly afford and the rewards are definite. Clemens is a big game pitcher whose performances the last three years resulted in the Astros going to the NLCS in 2004, the World Series in 2005, and a game and a half behind eventual champion St. Louis in 2006.

However, Clemens alone will not cure what ails the Yankees rotation, injuries. The fact remains that the Rocket only toes the rubber once every five days. At his age, he's also not going to give the bullpen a night off as he's thrown only four complete games his last 8 seasons. The Yankees need their rotation to get healthy as Mike Mussina, Chien-Ming Wang, and Carl Pavano have all spent time or are currently on the disabled list. Still, should those pitchers get healthy and Clemens is ready by early June, it is not unheard of to think that this team could get back into at least the American League Wild Card hunt. This move will pay dividends for the Yankees as Clemens can still bring it. I just find it remarkable how the most expensive roster in baseball has so little depth that they need to spend more money just to fix their problems.

Clemens at his age will still pitch better than the average AL starter, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's going to save his new old team's season.