That Cano changed his number from 22 to 24 in ST is some evidence that Clemens was a backup plan.

You think the Yankees back-up plan was to spend $28 million on Roger Clemens? That’s a pretty expensive Plan B.
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It’s the Yanks. They can afford it.

It’s not like the recent situation with Wells; it was known that Clemens was keeping himself in shape to pitch in 2007. It was just of question of where; NY, Houston or Boston.

And even if he wasn’t signed, you still have the players that were promoted from within. So if Clemens wasn’t signed, you’re looking at Hughes & co. taking their lumps. Maybe Cashman makes another trade for another arm. There are many different scenarios that we can apply here.

Unofficially, one could make the argument that Clemens was on board for the season from spring training. I dont even see it as a Plan B.

and why do yankees fans really care how much a player costs? i never got it. its their money, they can spend it as they wish. if it cost them $18 million for 2/3 or so of a season, then its no skin off my behind.

You think the Yankees back-up plan was to spend $28 million on Roger Clemens? That’s a pretty expensive Plan B.

How do you know Clemens wasn’t part of the backup plan? And even if Clemens wasn’t bought on board, there’s still the fact that other guys were promoted from within.

The Yanks haven’t had a season where the rotation was tight from top to bottom since 2003 (Clemens, Pettitte, Mussina, Wells & Weaver/Contreras).

Raf, if they had a back-up plan last year, they would have not needed to spend billions on Clemens.

The point you tried to make was that there wasn’t a backup plan. As pointed out, there was. Clemens was bought on board, and several guys were promoted from within.

Last year was a mess WITH Clemens; injuries and ineffectiveness still occurred after he came on board.

Raf, without Clemens being out there, and the Yankees having millions to throw at him, last year would have been a mess – and, that’s what might happen this year…because there’s no Clemens out there to buy.

In 2007, it was Pavano and Igawa. This year it was Hughes and Kennedy. Both years, they went with a bad plan and had no back-up…
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2007: The backups were found in-house (Hughes, Clippard, DeSalvo, Kennedy, etc), and Clemens was b(r)ought on board.

2008: The replacements will be found in-house as well, be they in SWB or Trenton. Can’t rule out a trade either.

This is two years in a row now for this.
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actually, it has been 4