A Look Back at the Roger Clemens Trade to the New York Yankees
Roger Clemens was arguably one of the best pitchers of his generation. Following the 1996 season, Clemens agreed to a 4-year/$40 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite winning the Cy Young Award in 1997 and 1998, Clemens didn’t have much faith in the Blue Jays. The 1998 Blue Jays had momentum but failed to claim a Wild Card spot. But they were not likely to take the division from the New York Yankees. This left the front office with no other choice but to trade the disgruntled Clemens to a team that was in contention.
The Trade February 18, 1999
To the New York Yankees: Roger Clemens
To the Blue Jays: Homer Bush, David Wells, and Graeme Lloyd
The Yankees
The 1998 season was a great one for the New York Yankees. After winning 114 games during the regular season, the Bronx Bombers captured their 24th World Series title in 75 years. So the Yankees did not need Clemens to return to the World Series, but it’s a luxury the team sought out.
During his first stint in New York, the Yankees won the World Series in 1999 and 2000, while Clemens won his sixth Cy Young in 2001. Clemens was a deadly part of the New York Yankees starting rotation from 1999-2003.
After the 2003 season, many thought Clemens was going to retire after 20 seasons in the majors. However, in 2004, Clemens decided to join the Houston Astros his hometown team. While being closer to family, he hoped to bring Houston their first title but was unsuccessful. Clemens came back to the New York Yankees in 2007, for his 24th and final season in the majors.
The Blue Jays
In the Gord Ash era (1995 – 2001), the Blue Jays were around .500 most seasons while struggling to get out of third place in the American League East. When Roger Clemens wanted out after two seasons, he had no choice but to trade Clemens away. This is who he got in return for the Cy Young winner.
Homer Bush
Homer Bush was a middle infielder over the course of his Major League career. At the time the New York Yankees were set with Chuck Knoblauch at second base and Derek Jeter at shortstop. As a result, the Yankees traded Bush to the Blue Jays with the opportunity to be an everyday player. After putting up great numbers in the 1999 season, the 2000 and 2001 seasons saw Bush only play around 70 games. A couple of months into the 2002 season, the Blue Jays decided to release Bush. Homer went on to play with the Marlins in 2002, taking the year off in 2003 and finished his career in 2004 as a member of the New York Yankees.
Graeme Lloyd
Graeme Lloyd played just one season in Toronto and produced a 3.63 ERA in 74 games out of the Blue Jays bullpen. Lloyd would become a free agent after the 1999 season, signing with the Montreal Expos. He finished his career in 2003 as a member of the Kansas City Royals.
David Wells
This trade brought David Wells back to Toronto at the age of 36. Having won the 1992 World Series as a member of the Blue Jays, there was excitement for Wells’ return. In 1999, Wells posted a 4.82 ERA in 231.2 IP and 169 strikeouts. This gave Wells a record of 17-10 in 1999. In the 2000 season at the age of 37, Wells had a 4.11 ERA with 166 strikeouts, and a record of 20-8. Wells was an All-Star in 2000 and finished third in the American League Cy Young voting.
Prior to the 2001 season, David Wells and Matt DeWitt were traded to the Chicago White Sox for Mike Williams, Kevin Beirne, Brian Simmons and Mike Sirotka. Mike Williams never made it to the Majors. Beirne played the 2001 season with the Blue Jays and posted a 12.81 ERA and left Toronto after the 2001 season.
Brian Simmons and Mike Sirotka
Brian Simmons played 60 games in the Outfield for the Blue Jays in 2001. In the process, he hit .178 with 2 Home Runs and 8 RBIs. The Blue Jays placed Simmons on waivers, and he never played in the Majors ever again. As for Mike Sirotka, he never played a game for the Toronto Blue Jays, as his last Major league game came in the year 2000. David Wells would play the 2001 season in Chicago before signing with the Yankees prior to the 2002 season. Wells would play his last Major League game in 2007 as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Final Thoughts
Despite not needing Roger Clemens, he helped lead the Yankees to two World Series titles. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays turned a Cy Young Winner into two decent pitchers and a player that was only good for one season. Acquiring Roger Clemens seemed like the right move in 1996, but the Blue Jays failed to deliver as a team. Although fans may look back on those Cy Young seasons fondly in Toronto, it’s likely that they don’t look at the other players in the Clemens trade with those same fond memories.
