A Modest Proposal For A Cubs September

News item -- Roger Clemens is going to pitch for the independent Sugar Land Skeeters:

Sugar Land Skeeters president Matt O'Brien and Roger Clemens' agent Randy Hendricks told FOX 26 Sports that Clemens worked out for the Skeeters today and will sign with the team.

Hendricks and O'Brien told FOX 26 that Clemens will start for the Skeeters this Saturday, Aug. 25, in Sugar Land.

You might even be able to watch that on TV:

Roger Clemens' return to baseball with the minor-league Sugar Land (Texas) Skeeters Saturday night might be broadcast by ESPN Classic, according to the Houston Chronicle.

ESPN's two main networks are scheduled to air high school football and WNBA basketball Saturday night. ESPN Classic usually airs repeated sports documentaries on Saturday night, which could free up the tertiary network to air Clemens' start against the Bridgeport (Conn.) Bluefish.

And, the Houston Astros watched Clemens work out:

General Manager Jeff Luhnow said the Astros sent a scout to look at Roger Clemens and the left-hander Scott Kazmir, now Clemens’s teammate on the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League. Clemens is set to make his first start Saturday at home against Bridgeport.

The Astros’ interim manager, Tony DeFrancesco, managed Clemens’s son Koby at Class AAA Oklahoma City last season and said he repeatedly came across Clemens. DeFrancesco said he was not surprised Clemens still wanted to pitch and said he believed Clemens was serious about returning to the majors.

Now, if you think I am suggesting the Cubs should sign Roger Clemens, I am suggesting nothing of the sort. But this whole thing did give me another, related idea that you'll find out about after the jump.

The Cubs should sign Jamie Moyer. Yes, really. Moyer has been out of work since July 6, when he was released by the Toronto Blue Jays, his third organization this year. Moyer pitched in Triple-A for both the Blue Jays and Orioles after the Rockies let him go; he did fairly well at Triple-A Norfolk for Baltimore (1.69 ERA in three starts), but wasn't good for Triple-A Las Vegas for the Jays (8.18 ERA in two starts). Some of the difference has to be the jetstreams that go through many Pacific Coast League ballparks in the summer. Moyer wasn't great for the Rockies, posting a 5.70 ERA in 10 starts, but if you look at his game logs from this year, about half of those starts were decent and none were totally horrendous; he's been better than Chris Volstad this year, for example.

What would it hurt? Sign him to a deal after September 1, when rosters expand; the 40-man roster is currently full, but the Cubs could surely find a way to put Jake Brigham on the 60-day DL to open a spot. Moyer could start a game or two, and more importantly, with all the young pitchers on the staff now, could mentor them for a month. This spring-training article quotes Moyer as saying that was a big part of how he was helping out in Colorado:

Moyer brings a wealth of experience with him to the mound every five days, and those days between give him a chance to contribute equally importantly to the future of the franchise.

"They know the answers, but sometimes they just don't listen to themselves," Moyer pointed out. "And sometimes it's a confidence thing. And rightly so. I was a young guy at one time, and I didn't have a lot of confidence in my ability at this level. Take me to Triple-A or Double-A or Single-A and I had all the confidence in the world. So the thing I try to tell them is it's no different here as it is there. You're just under a bigger microscope here."

That's exactly what this young team needs, with the only real veteran presence now being Alfonso Soriano. Having a pitcher who's been around as long as Moyer has can surely help some of the Cubs' young arms, and he'd be able to finish his career where he started, and go out on his own terms.

Now, before you flame me, this isn't totally a serious proposal; it's mostly just something to pique your interest on an off day. At the same time... why not? At the very least, it might perk up this moribund team. At most, it might give some young players some helpful tips to succeed.