According to the NY Post, Roger Clemens has agreed to terms with the Yankees on a contract for this season, worth about $20-24 million (pro-rated).
We'll get into the Yankees more tomorrow during our AL East review, but for all those who might have thought they were finished after their terrible April, this last week would seem to indicate that they are just getting going. Between the young pitchers putting on a show (Phil Hughes 6 2/3 no-hitter, Wangs 7 1/3 perfect game), the return of Clemens, Pettite's strong outing, and Mussina, the Yankees have pretty much established that they will have the best pitching rotation (1-5) in baseball for the rest of the season, starting in June. Clemens will need three weeks to get into shape, so expect him ready on June 1st. Similarly, Phil Hughes' hamstring injury is pretty minor (a grade 2 strain, not a "tear", or even a pull), so while the Yankees might take their time bringing him back, he could be ready as early as June 1st, too.
Essentially the Yankees have decided that Carl Pavano and Kei Igawa are not going to allowed to play a large part in this season unless something comes up. It's probably a good plan.
Update: Clemens announced his decision live to the Yankee Stadium crowd during the 7th inning stretch of today's game, via a microphone from the owner's box. The Yankees sure know how to make sh*t exciting....
More thoughts on the AL East to come tomorrow... here's what Clemens was doing last week - coaching 1st base in little league games, and probably getting tired of hearing the belittling chants of "Mr. Clemens, I have your foul ball..." from fans:
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