Baseball nixes side deals

NEW YORK— The baseball commissioner’s office, without mentioning Roger Clemens by name, sent teams a memo saying side agreements such as the one between the pitcher and Toronto are unenforceable.

During a news conference Tuesday, Clemens said he had a written agreement with Toronto that gave him both the right to demand a trade and the right to block one. Those clauses are not contained in the copy of Clemens’ contract sent to the American League.

In a memo sent to teams last Friday, the commissioner’s office told teams it has always insisted all agreements with players must be contained in the uniform player contract, and that the commissioner’s office considers any agreements not in the contract to be unenforceable.

It also reminded teams of tampering rules and said that if a team wishes to talk with a player it wants to acquire, it must agree on the trade and the player’s current club must formally notify the commissioner’s office to gain permission for a 72-hour window in which the player can negotiate with the acquiring team.

While there was no announcement of the memo, its contents were described to The Associated Press by a management source who spoke on the condition he not be identified and later confirmed by Blue Jays general manager Gord Ash.

The source denied a report that commissioner Bud Selig held a conference call with the teams about the memo and both the source and Ash said no specific references were made regarding Clemens’ situation.

Ash did not wish to respond to the memo.

The New York Times, citing an unidentified baseball lawyer, reported that former Blue Jays president Paul Beeston, now baseball’s chief operating officer, will be fined, as will the Blue Jays, but did not specify an amount.

Clemens, owed $16.1 million over the next two years under the $31.1 million, four-year deal with Toronto he agreed to in December 1996, demanded a trade Nov. 27, then withdrew the demand Tuesday, blasting Houston Astros president Tal Smith and general manager Gerry Hunsicker for accusing him of making “mind-boggling” salary demands.

Clemens’ agent, Randy Hendricks, asked the Astros to extend the five-time Cy Young Award winner’s contract for one additional season at $27.4 million, which would have left him with what amounted to a $43.5 million, three-year deal.

“The furor,” Hendricks said Thursday, “has been caused in my judgment by two factors: the Astros’ gratuitous news conference and that a club was attempting to secure Roger in a trade from the Blue Jays and was hoping to get the agreements declared null and void so as to force Roger to go to their club, contrary to the agreements Roger had with Toronto.”

Clemens made the side agreement with Beeston, who left the Blue Jays the following year.

Ash said Thursday he will honor the agreement Beeston made with Clemens and said he will resume trade talks following the holiday break. The Astros, Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians currently appear to be the top contenders.

“I don’t see it as any different from when other players came to us wanting out, such as Doyle Alexander,” Ash said.

Clemens said he would not demand a renegotiation of his contract in exchange for his consent to a trade and he would consider any trade the Blue Jays proposed to him.

“The Blue Jays have unfailingly honored their commitments and so has Roger, and that seems to be lost in the translation,” Hendricks said. “Only outsiders to the agreement continue to make complaints. There has never been any dispute among the Blue Jays, our organization and Roger.”

Associated Press