Is Clemens really the Yankees’ savior?

The New York Yankees were desperate. So they went out and did what they do best – spend millions for another superstar.

Signing Roger Clemens, best right-handed pitcher in the universe, during the weekend is merely business as usual for the Yankees.

But is he the answer?

The Yanks were knee-deep in panic, especially after giving up 39 runs in five recent losses to the Boston Red Sox. Their pitching staff – they’ve used 10 starters – was in a shambles, and this season was slipping away.

So they coaxed seven-time Cy Young Award winner Clemens out of another of his non-official retirements because they were as vulnerable as a team can be. They had to do something dramatic and, as always, were willing to pay a hefty sum.

Yes, this was all about money – although Clemens says not for him.

“If you think it’s about money, you’re greatly mistaken,” he told the Associated Press at a golf tournament Monday. “I’m not going to put my body through the paces I put my body through to earn a few more dollars.”

Payroll without prize

The Yankees usually get the player they want, but having this bargaining power hasn’t worked in recent years.

A sampling of some acquisitions:

•Third baseman Alex Rodriguez, highest-paid player ever and arguably the best at the time, in 2004.

•Flame-thrower Randy Johnson, five-time Cy Young Award winner, in 2005.

•Carl Pavano, 18-game winner with the Florida Marlins in 2004, one of the most sought-after free agents in 2005.

Bottom line: The Yankees haven’t won a World Series since 2000 and haven’t played in one since 2003, when they lost to the Marlins. Not even record $200 million payrolls could carry them to the promised land.

General manager Brian Cashman, who with manager Joe Torre received support from owner George Steinbrenner a week ago, is elated he was able to pull off the Clemens coup.

Yet no one knows better than Cashman that major acquisitions don’t always work.

“This was a nice moment and everybody is happy for the opportunity, but we have to make something of it,” says Cashman, thanking Steinbrenner for agreeing to Clemens’ pro-rated $28,000,022 salary. (Actually, the Rocket will cost the Yankees about $26 million in salary and competitive-balance tax.)

Clemens, 44, chose the Yankees over the Houston Astros – for whom he pitched the past three seasons – and Boston, his original team.

No matter what he says, the huge amount of money offered was the deciding factor.

The Astros and Red Sox weren’t in the same financial ballpark as the Yankees. Boston offered $18 million; Houston hadn’t made a dollar proposal.

“With Boston taking those giant steps forward in the division, we were hopeful he’d be willing to make a decision sooner rather than later and, if so, pick us,” Cashman says.

Astros owner Drayton McLane doesn’t know if Clemens followed the money to New York, but he is surprised the man with more victories (348) than any living pitcher would leave his hometown.

“At this stage of his life I don’t understand it,” McLane says. “I’ve said for many years if you took a survey on who’s the most popular person in Texas it would be (Hall of Famer) Nolan Ryan.

“I told Roger and (his wife) Debbie that and said, ‘Roger, stay here and help the Astros go to the World Series and win and you can be governor of Texas.’ Why he would walk away from the huge respect and accolades I don’t understand. A few more dollars isn’t that important. You know, we paid him $44 million in the last three years.”

McLane says Clemens’ agent, Randy Hendricks, called Astros GM Tim Purpura 30 minutes before the announcement.

“Tim and I met with Randy two weeks ago, and he said Roger had to make a decision whether he was going to play this year. They were to get back to us by May 15,” McLane says. “When Randy called, he said Roger wouldn’t be returning to the Astros but wouldn’t say where he was going.”

During the seventh-inning stretch Sunday at Yankee Stadium, Clemens announced: “Well, they came and got me out of Texas, and I can tell you it’s a privilege to be back.”

And a pleasure to receive a Texas truckload of money for it.