What are the chances of Pettitte and Clemens coming back to Astros?

Andy can still pitch, but he'll be pitching through pain the whole time. Clemens is breaking down even more and I think he would have to move to the bullpen to continue to be effective, which he isn't going to do. I would bring back Pettitte, afterall, he can't be worse than Jason Jennings or Woody Williams.

Does anybody really think that a rotation of Oswalt, Backe, Sampson, Woody, and Wandy really going to get us anywhere? I know Troy Patton will probably kick someone to the bullpen, but will he be a quality #2 pitcher for this team? I've got my doubts

 

Doesn't Clemens have a personal service contract with Drayton? Thus, he will be back, just not in uniform. If he really wants one more ring, I could see him signing with Boston, A long shot at best.

 

Hopefully zero. Biggs and Bags are gone; we shouldn't waste our money on Pettitte. And that means we also shouldn't waste our money on an egomaniac pitcher who conveniently gets injured on the mound in pressure situations. This team needs to suck for 3 or 4 years and have a strong farm system that can take Oswalt, Berkman, and Pence to the World Series. No amount of free agents can do that.

This team's problems can NOT be fixed by free agency.

 

Whoa! What situations are you referring to? Not being combative, just don't recall.

Agreed! The pressure's on Mr. Wade: draft and transact wisely.

 

I'd be pissed if they brought either of them back. Please, please, please, please rebuild and start going in a new direction. I'm ready for some new blood.

 

I reckon he's talking about the World Series.

 

They won't be back. The Pulpura eara of stupid is over, and these guys are so full of themselves they won't take a paycut or diminished role. As said before, Pettite has a 16m player option...that's money in the bank, gonna buy you a drank.

I honestly think that Clemens could put in two more years as a lights-out closer ala John Smoltz...but his ego won't let him do that, IMO.

 

We need a farm system much more than two guys already past the end of their rope. Clemens needs to retire, period.

Evan

 

I wonder if four extra games constituted a non-waste of a season for Roger.

 

I'm not calling for either, but - farm system is needed, yes...and needs time to get back in shape to stock the major league club. Therefore, the need to sign 1 - 2 year 'fixes' is very necessary IF the team is 'reloading'. If they're rebuilding, fine - but play the young(er) guys and shed the old ones.

 

Clemens will be 46 and has shown that he cannot stay healthy anymore. No way would I want him, unless he gave us a huge discount (as in $5MM total)

Pettite isn't worth the money.

 

i second this.

 

I don't get it. If you are an astros fan why wouldn't you want them if they wanted to resign? At this stage of their careers they are both very good pitchers and would immediate shore up major holes on this team.

I understand that they are probably both huge egomaniacs (Although clemens is probably the greatest post-deadball era pitcher so if anyone is entitled to have a huge ego it's him.), but what big time pro athlete isn't? I'm not naive enough to think that all our athletes are humble, great people. Biggio is widely celebrated as one of our sports heroes, yet there are reported stories of him having a big ego, being a clubhouse lawyer, and drunk driving. Warren Moon beat his wife. Countless others have similar transgressions yet are well-received because they play here or didn't leave on bad terms. As a fan I try to seperate the personal life from their professional job. Sure i don't want oj simpson on my team, but aside from something really egregious I really don't care or want to know. Besides apart from having "huge egos" both of these guys seems like model citizens off the field.

Is it because they signed for more money with the Yankees? If so, welcome to 21st century baseball. The reserve clause has been dead for close to half a century. They were offered bigger, better contracts from their former team. A team that has no close relation to the astros. In Pettitte's case it's the team he played for his entire career. If it's disloyalty, how many were angry about their disloyalty when they signed here in 2004? How many were angry about Nolan Ryan's disloyalty when he signed here in 1980? How many were ready to boycott the astros when they signed Carlos Lee. And don't get me started about Basketball. How dare Steve Francis abandon the good people of Portland to sign in Houston. It just seems silly to me to almost single these two out in an industry and a society in which this sort of thing is common.

On the field they would instantly make the team playoff contenders. There are major question marks about the rotation after oswalt. Those would immediate be answered by clemens and pettitte's acquisition. If not i'm having a hard time seeing how the rotation can be improved from last year. There's not much on the free agent market and, given the state of the farm system, there's not quality trading chips to offer other teams.

I noticed some have argued that they need to concentrate on their farm system, but signing these free agents and improving the system are not mutually exclusive events. In fact, with a protected draft pick if they were ever going to splurge in the FA market, this would be the year. However, something that would be mutually exclusive to quickly rebuilding the farm system would be the trade away the team few prospects to acquire a middle of the rotation starter. If not through free agency that's likely the only way to build a competent rotation for next year.

The farm system is likely YEARS away from being up to speed. That doesn't mean that the astros have to be bad during that time. they actually have a nice middle of their prime core, in a terrible division and league. The challenge is how to surround that core with supporting talent without sacrificing the system. A short term deal with Pettitte and Clemens would go along way towards doing that.

All that said I don't see them returning. Pettitte has a year option left on his deal and i don't see him opting out. Although i disagree that his market value is substantially less than this current contract. If Barry Zito is worth 20+ million per year over 7 years, and jason marquis is worth 7 million, and etc, etc. then Pettitte is certainly worth 15-16 million in a one or two year contract.

 

I'll ask him next time I see him.

 

Clemens can't pitch half a season without walking into injury troubles. The guy has fallen apart in the postseason the past 3 years. He's way overpaid at this stage of his career for what he actually brings.

Andy threw 215 innings. That's damn good. But I can't imagine he'd come back at this point.

 

For very little money, hell yeah...but that ain't gonna happen...

Torre anyone...

 

I don't remember clemens getting injured in the postseason of 04. And looking back at the stats he pitched reasonable well that year. In 05 his amazing effort in game 4 against the braves probably won us the series. That year he also pitched well enough to get us the win in the pivotal game 3 of the lcs. He didn't break down at all as far as i can remember in 06.

He's likely have to be paced and managed but a half a season a clemens is better than any other option the team has now other than oswalt.

He may be self-centered and greedy, but by all other account he's at least a decent human being. More importantly he'd help the team win and wouldn't cost the team prospects to acquire like a trade would. I don't know, i'm spoiled the astros success I want them to keep winning. I'd rather win with a team full of disloyal, greed, but still decent people, than lose with a team of loyal Mother Theresa's.

 

Clemens can't pitch 100 innings anymore. You're talking about a guy who won't be starting a game for you until late June or early July. You're hoping that guy can pitch into the post season...but the last two times, he hasn't done that well. Particularly not for the money...which is top of the league money. I'd rather them bring young guys along in the rotation then give that guy half a season again. He's a 5-6 inning pitcher in each start at this point...and that's about all he can give you. No, thanks. Not at that price.

 

Even if that's true which i'm not sure it is, given the astros holes i would love to add a 100 quality innings to my pitching staff. In a tight race that's the difference between winning and losing a division.

And again while he was injured this postseason, he pitched reasonable well the first two series in his prior postseason in 05. Without him, there's a good chance we don't even get out of the first round, much less make the world series.

 

Anyone advocating bringing Clemens back didn't watch him pitch this year. He's done. Adios, mofo.

If AP opts out in NY & is interested in coming back for a year, sure, you talk to him about it.