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Knowing his perfect scenario won't happen, manager Phil Garner says the Houston Astros have to work under the assumption that Roger Clemens won't be in their starting rotation next season.
"I don't think it would be prudent on our part to wait to see what's going to happen," Garner said Tuesday. "You try to make sure if we started tomorrow if Rocket wasn't here, you'd feel like you'd have a good team."
Garner's preference would be for the Clemens to re-sign now with the NL champion Astros.
But Clemens' agent, Randy Hendricks, said this week that the Rocket hasn't decided if he will pitch again next season, and probably won't decide until at least late January.
"We were hoping to have had something accomplished by now, or earlier, but we certainly have to respect that," owner Drayton McLane said.
The Astros have until Wednesday night to offer salary arbitration to the 43-year-old Clemens like they did last year before agreeing to an $18 million contract. Otherwise, the seven-time Cy Young Award winner would not be able to re-sign with his hometown team before May 1.
"It's a gut-wrenching, agonizing decision," general manager Tim Purpura said. "This is a man who led us to the World Series this year, won an ERA title this year. He got us to the NLCS last year. He's had a tremendous, tremendous effect on this organization."
Purpura said the team hadn't decided whether to offer arbitration. He said he would discuss the issue McLane and other team officials, and speak again with Clemens' agents Wednesday before making a decision.
"From a talent point of view, I don't want to lose him," Purpura said. "I also realize that we need to improve our club, and it's very difficult for me to move forward in doing that if I have such uncertainty on whether he's going to be able to contribute."
McLane understands that Clemens wants to determine if he will be healthy enough to pitch effectively before deciding whether to return for another full season.
Clemens had back and hamstring problems this year, but was still 13-8, led the major leagues with a career-best 1.87 ERA and finished third in the Cy Young Award voting. He hobbled off the mound after just two innings in the World Series opener against the Chicago White Sox because of a strained left hamstring.
With 341 victories, he is ninth on the career list with the most wins among living pitchers. His 4,502 strikeouts are second only to Nolan Ryan's 5,714.
Clemens planned to retire after the 2003 season, and it seemed certain that his start for the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the World Series would be his last. But his buddy Andy Pettitte went to their hometown Astros, and Clemens followed him and won another Cy Young in 2004.
While his future with the Astros is uncertain, Clemens is determined to pitch for the United States in the World Baseball Classic next March - even in a limited role, Hendricks said.
Source: AP
"I don't think it would be prudent on our part to wait to see what's going to happen," Garner said Tuesday. "You try to make sure if we started tomorrow if Rocket wasn't here, you'd feel like you'd have a good team."
Garner's preference would be for the Clemens to re-sign now with the NL champion Astros.
But Clemens' agent, Randy Hendricks, said this week that the Rocket hasn't decided if he will pitch again next season, and probably won't decide until at least late January.
"We were hoping to have had something accomplished by now, or earlier, but we certainly have to respect that," owner Drayton McLane said.
The Astros have until Wednesday night to offer salary arbitration to the 43-year-old Clemens like they did last year before agreeing to an $18 million contract. Otherwise, the seven-time Cy Young Award winner would not be able to re-sign with his hometown team before May 1.
"It's a gut-wrenching, agonizing decision," general manager Tim Purpura said. "This is a man who led us to the World Series this year, won an ERA title this year. He got us to the NLCS last year. He's had a tremendous, tremendous effect on this organization."
Purpura said the team hadn't decided whether to offer arbitration. He said he would discuss the issue McLane and other team officials, and speak again with Clemens' agents Wednesday before making a decision.
"From a talent point of view, I don't want to lose him," Purpura said. "I also realize that we need to improve our club, and it's very difficult for me to move forward in doing that if I have such uncertainty on whether he's going to be able to contribute."
McLane understands that Clemens wants to determine if he will be healthy enough to pitch effectively before deciding whether to return for another full season.
Clemens had back and hamstring problems this year, but was still 13-8, led the major leagues with a career-best 1.87 ERA and finished third in the Cy Young Award voting. He hobbled off the mound after just two innings in the World Series opener against the Chicago White Sox because of a strained left hamstring.
With 341 victories, he is ninth on the career list with the most wins among living pitchers. His 4,502 strikeouts are second only to Nolan Ryan's 5,714.
Clemens planned to retire after the 2003 season, and it seemed certain that his start for the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the World Series would be his last. But his buddy Andy Pettitte went to their hometown Astros, and Clemens followed him and won another Cy Young in 2004.
While his future with the Astros is uncertain, Clemens is determined to pitch for the United States in the World Baseball Classic next March - even in a limited role, Hendricks said.
Source: AP