Notebook: Clemens seeks $22M

NEW YORK — After a spectacular season, Roger Clemens made a record-setting salary request. Eric Gagne, another Cy Young Award winner, avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a lucrative deal.

Clemens, who has won seven Cy Young Awards, asked for $22 million yesterday, exceeding the previous high arbitration request of $18.5 million by shortstop Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees in 2001.

Clemens, who hasn't decided whether to pitch this year or retire, was offered $13.5 million by his hometown Houston Astros. The $8.5 million difference was double the previous record spread, set by the Yankees and Jeter.

"We are proceeding down the arbitration path as if Roger were going to play," said Randy Hendricks, Clemens' agent. "He has not yet decided whether to play in 2005, but I expect him to do so by Feb. 1 at the latest."

Clemens, who wears jersey No. 22, would be playing his 22nd major-league season.

"We looked at what some of the comparables were — Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson — and we tried to use those star-quality players to come up with a number," Astros general manager Tim Purpura said.

Rather than swap figures with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Gagne agreed to a $19 million, two-year deal that contains a club option for 2007. But Gagne, the 2003 NL Cy Young winner, has the right to void the option year and become a free agent.

"We wanted to do everything we could to try to keep him," Dodgers general manager Paul DePodesta said of the 29-year-old Gagne. "I don't like to be put in a position where we're pitted against one of our players."

Clemens was among 40 players who exchanged figures with teams, a group that included Astros outfielder Lance Berkman and Minnesota pitcher Johan Santana.

Berkman asked for $11 million, $1 million more than Houston offered. Santana, the 2004 AL Cy Young Award winner, requested $6.8 million; the Twins offered $5 million.

The Chicago Cubs and catcher Michael Barrett agreed to a $12 million, three-year contract after swapping figures. Barrett was the 50th player to agree to a deal among the 89 who filed for arbitration. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez asked for $10.25 million from the Cubs, who offered $8 million.

If the 42-year-old Clemens decides to play, he could have the highest salary for a pitcher in a season, topping the $17.5 million made last year by Pedro Martinez in Boston.

Clemens had a remarkable 2004 season, going 18-4 with a 2.98 earned-run average and 218 strikeouts. As he did last winter, he said he is leaning toward retirement but has not ruled out playing.

"As I've said all along, we're going to wait patiently for his answer," Purpura said.

Three players agreed to one-year contracts with the Philadelphia Phillies — second baseman Placido Polanco ($4.6 million), shortstop Jimmy Rollins ($3.85 million) and pitcher Vicente Padilla ($3.2 million).

Anaheim agreed to a $6.5 million, one-year contract with pitcher Jarrod Washburn.

Pitcher David Riske, a Renton native, agreed to a one-year, $1.425 million contract with Cleveland.

Riske, 28, made $1.05 million last year.

Cameron discusses role

"Right now, I'll kind of do what I can to help the team. It's going to be a transition," said Cameron, a two-time Gold Glove winner in center. "That's the plan right now, to see what happens and kind of go with it. I've been going through a lot of mixed emotions."

The Mets signed All-Star center fielder Carlos Beltran to a $119 million, seven-year contract last week, signaling a position switch — or trade — for ex-Mariner Cameron after one season in New York.

There was speculation Cameron was unhappy with the addition of Beltran and had asked to be dealt, but Mets general manager Omar Minaya said that wasn't true.

Minaya and other Mets executives traveled to Georgia and met yesterday with the 32-year-old Cameron, who said changing positions was a "very sensitive" issue for him and the chat was "definitely" necessary.

Cameron, who is expected to miss the start of the season because he had surgery on his left wrist, said, "I'm here to do what's in the best interests of the ballclub."