[Chron] Astros talk to Clemens' agents

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3618988.html

Hendrickses say team 'definitely interested' in Rocket's return

By JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

The Astros continued planning toward the 2006 season Friday, meeting with free-agent righthander Roger Clemens' agents while also filing their insurance claim on veteran first baseman Jeff Bagwell's 2006 contract.

Per the collective bargaining agreement, the Astros cannot sign or negotiate with Clemens until May 1 because they did not offer him arbitration by the Dec. 7 deadline.

Nevertheless, Astros owner Drayton McLane isn't going to let the Texas Rangers flirt with the future Hall of Famer without at least offering him some Houston love.

With general manager Tim Purpura and president of baseball operations Tal Smith, McLane met with Clemens' agents, Randy and Alan Hendricks.

"We really can't negotiate or come into any kind of agreement with Clemens until May 1," said McLane, who lured Clemens to the Astros two years ago. "It was more of a discussion to just talk about things. Tim and I asked him to meet with us just to talk. Andy Pettitte (also represented by the Hendricks brothers) will be a free agent after this year. It was not a Roger Clemens negotiation session.

"We're good friends with them. ... We have said all the way through that we would love later to have an opportunity to sign Roger. We have continued to say that. When it's an appropriate time to negotiate, we certainly will."

Although they didn't negotiate, McLane and Purpura made their interest clear in re-signing Clemens, who won the National League Cy Young Award in his first season with the Astros and the ERA title in his second.

"They're definitely interested," said Randy Hendricks, who also has been contacted by the Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and New York Yankees about the possibililty of signing the seven-time Cy Young Award winner.

Clemens, 43, has not decided whether he will play his 23rd major-league season in 2006.

Moreover, Hendricks says he and Clemens haven't spoken in detail about the Rocket's thoughts on playing the 2006 season since the winter meetings in Dallas early last month.

"We will meet (with Clemens) sometime after the Super Bowl," Hendricks said. "Other than the three teams, there have also been a number of teams that have called to express interest in Roger if he decides to play."

On a more pressing front, the Astros filed their insurance claim with Lloyd's of London to recoup $15.6 million of the $17 million Bagwell is set to earn this year.

The Astros had until Jan. 31 to file their claim, but they took care of it Friday.

"This is just part of the legal responsibility," McLane said. "If we didn't file a claim by the end of the month we would void the (insurance) contract. This doesn't determine anything.

"We hope to sit down and negotiate something with the insurance company. The next step is with the insurance company."