Clemens lawsuit status up in air

Judge 'agonizing' over decisions

A federal judge in Houston said yesterday he is "agonizing" over the status of a defamation lawsuit Roger Clemens filed against his former personal trainer, who accused the pitcher of using performance-enhancing drugs.

US District Judge Keith P. Ellison made the comment after a nearly two-hour hearing in which attorneys for both sides reiterated arguments they already had briefed in court filings over the last few months.

The issues before Ellison are whether he should throw out the lawsuit and if he doesn't, whether it should stay in Texas.

"I really have been agonizing over these claims," Ellison said.

Clemens sued Brian McNamee in January after the pitcher's former trainer told baseball investigator and former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell that the seven-time Cy Young Award winner used steroids and human growth hormone.

K-Rod files

Record-setting closer Frankie Rodriguez and shortstops Rafael Furcal, Omar Vizquel, and Edgar Renteria were among 19 players who filed for free agency.

Pitchers Paul Byrd of the Red Sox and Brandon Lyon also joined the list. Of the 179 players eligible, 149 have filed.

Rodriguez went 62 for 69 on save chances for the Angels, breaking the record of 57 saves set by Bobby Thigpen in 1990. K-Rod was 2-3 with a 2.24 ERA for the only team in the majors to win 100 games.

Byrd went 4-2 in eight starts for Boston after being acquired from the Indians Aug. 12. He went 7-10 with Cleveland.

Amaro Jr. a GM

With the enviable task of repeating as World Series champions ahead of them, the Phillies turned to a former bat boy to take over as their general manager.

Ruben Amaro Jr. signed a three-year contract to become general manager of the Phillies a quarter-century after he was handing lumber to Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton as a teenager.

Amaro just completed his 10th season as assistant Phillies GM and replaces the retiring Pat Gillick, who will remain as an adviser. The Phillies announced the move five days after beating the Tampa Bay Rays for their second title in franchise history.

The 43-year-old Amaro, whose father was a Phillies shortstop from 1960-65 and first base coach for the club, recalled being around Schmidt, reliever Tug McGraw, and shortstop Larry Bowa as a bat boy from 1980-83 - in 1980 the Phillies won the only other championship in their 126-year history.

He later spent parts of eight seasons as a major league player, including a stint with the 1993 Phillies team that lost to Toronto in the World Series.

Brewers make pitch

The Brewers have opened up the bidding for free agent ace CC Sabathia. Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin said the team made a contract proposal to Sabathia over the weekend, but he wasn't willing to discuss terms of the offer or assess the team's chances of keeping its prize pitcher. "It's in their hands," Melvin said. Sabathia, who went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA for Milwaukee after he was traded from Cleveland July 7, filed for free agency over the weekend and is expected to draw interest from big-market teams who could outbid the Brewers. The Brewers hired manager Ken Macha last week and are expected to announce that former interim manager Dale Sveum will be retained as the team's new hitting coach, a move Sveum recently confirmed to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Sveum replaced Ned Yost, who was fired with two weeks remaining in the regular season. Milwaukee announced it has exercised its $10 million 2009 option for center fielder Mike Cameron.

Yankees favorites

They don't have Sabathia yet, but the Yankees are the favorites to win the 2009 World Series, according to the Glantz/Culver line. New York's odds of winning it all were put at 6-1, followed by the Red Sox (7-1), and Cubs and Dodgers (8-1). The Phillies, who won this season's Series, and the Rays, who lost it, both were at 15-1 . . . Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said if Mike Mussina, who turns 40 next month and is coming off his first 20-win season, decides to pitch next year, the team could make room for him in its uncertain starting rotation . . . The Rays declined options for next season on designated hitter Cliff Floyd and relief pitcher Trever Miller. Floyd hit .268 with 11 homers and 39 RBIs in 72 starts this season. The Rays held a $3 million option with a $250,000 buyout on the 35-year-old slugger, who was on the postseason roster until a right shoulder injury sidelined him for the final two games of the World Series loss. The club held a $2 million option with a $400,000 buyout on Miller, a 35-year-old lefty who was 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA and two saves in 68 games . . . Miguel Olivo and the Royals exercised mutual contract options, keeping the catcher with Kansas City . . . Mike Maddux was hired as Rangers pitching coach after six seasons in the same role for Milwaukee and turning down an offer to stay with the Brewers. Maddux will oversee a Texas staff that had a 5.37 ERA this season, worst in the major leagues. The Rangers also tabbed Andy Hawkins as bullpen coach. Hawkins was interim pitching coach after Mark Connor was fired Aug. 1 . . . Jim Lefebvre and Ted Simmons were added to the Padres' coaching staff.