petekat
02-28-2005, 06:18 PM
Matt Clement seriously considered the Sox. Sign of future possibilities (such as Dye passing up more money):
:redface:
While no one has said it on the record, some in the Cubs' front office questioned Clement's mental toughness after he won only once in a stretch of 12 starts at midseason. Perhaps it was easier for them to justify the decision not to spend heavily to keep him if they told themselves he was "soft."
Yet if Clement is somehow lacking in the competitiveness department, how do you explain his signing with Boston rather than one of the lower-profile teams pursuing him?
The Red Sox gave Clement $25.5 million over three years to help them get back to the World Series. He and David Wells are replacing Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe in a rotation fronted by Curt Schilling.
Having experienced playoff races the last two seasons, Clement said he wanted to go to a team where he could be practically assured of having a shot at the postseason. That's why he passed up offers from the White Sox, Cleveland, Toronto, Arizona and Anaheim, among others.
"You don't know how often the ball will be in your court," Clement said. "You don't want to wake up after your career is over and say, 'Man, I wish I had taken that chance.'"
Clement said he was sorely tempted to stay in Chicago. He knows Ozzie Guillen and was interested in being reunited with catcher Ben Davis, whom he thought did a good job working with him in San Diego.
"I loved the city, and would have been happy staying there," Clement said. "But I was really taken by what [the Red Sox] had done here, coming back from being 3-0 behind the Yankees in the playoffs to win the World Series. It's exciting to think about being a part of that, being with a team that overcame the odds like that."
:redface:
While no one has said it on the record, some in the Cubs' front office questioned Clement's mental toughness after he won only once in a stretch of 12 starts at midseason. Perhaps it was easier for them to justify the decision not to spend heavily to keep him if they told themselves he was "soft."
Yet if Clement is somehow lacking in the competitiveness department, how do you explain his signing with Boston rather than one of the lower-profile teams pursuing him?
The Red Sox gave Clement $25.5 million over three years to help them get back to the World Series. He and David Wells are replacing Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe in a rotation fronted by Curt Schilling.
Having experienced playoff races the last two seasons, Clement said he wanted to go to a team where he could be practically assured of having a shot at the postseason. That's why he passed up offers from the White Sox, Cleveland, Toronto, Arizona and Anaheim, among others.
"You don't know how often the ball will be in your court," Clement said. "You don't want to wake up after your career is over and say, 'Man, I wish I had taken that chance.'"
Clement said he was sorely tempted to stay in Chicago. He knows Ozzie Guillen and was interested in being reunited with catcher Ben Davis, whom he thought did a good job working with him in San Diego.
"I loved the city, and would have been happy staying there," Clement said. "But I was really taken by what [the Red Sox] had done here, coming back from being 3-0 behind the Yankees in the playoffs to win the World Series. It's exciting to think about being a part of that, being with a team that overcame the odds like that."