Roger Clemens' name just won't go away. According to the Globe's Nick Cafardo, a source close to Clemens said today that the Astros pitcher would not ask to be traded even though his frustration level is "through the roof" following another frustrating loss yesterday. Clemens, who struck out nine and allowed just one run in seven innings, earned a no-decision, and though he is 2-4 on the season, owns a 2.09 ERA. Cafardo also reports that the source indicated that Clemens would not exercise a veto (he has a full no trade clause) of a deal as long as he was dealt to a team of his choice. That team would be Boston first and possibly the Yankees. The Providence Journal's Sean McAdam had these interesting tidbits: "Friends of the Rocket insist he's sorry that he chose the Astros over the Red Sox. After finally getting some run support yesterday, the bullpen blew Clemens' lead, leaving him with a 2-4 record. The Astros, meanwhile, are seven games under .500 and six games out of the wild-card race. Clemens would love to be dealt to the Red Sox, but doesn't want to antagonize his hometown by asking for a trade. Similarly, owner Drayon McLane, having won the furious bidding war for Clemens two months ago, doesn't want to alienate Astros fans by dealing Clemens. If Clemens could make a trade seem like the Astros' idea, he'd be all for it. And if the Astros got cover from Clemens and could say that a deal was made at Clemens' request, they'd make it. But since neither side is going to accommodate the other, Clemens is stuck." ... From the Globe's Gordon Edes: "Would the Astros move Roger Clemens? Clemens's agent, Randy Hendricks, said in an e-mail he had no idea what the Astros were thinking. Meanwhile, Astros manager Phil Garner told Fox Sports radio, 'I don't know that Rocket's an option. Now, if Rocket were to come to us and say, Look, I wanna go someplace else for the last month or two, that's a different story. I don't think that we are in a posture of trying to do something with Rocket, or would consider that, unless it were the other way around, that Rocket asked for it. We committed to Rocket. Our owner, Drayton McLane, committed to Rocket and I don't think there's gonna be jumping ship with Rocket.'"
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/thebuzz/
