Clemens did pitch well in 2006 for the Astros - 2.30 ERA / 3.02 FIP and a 3.4 WAR in 19 games. Astros might not have made the Postseason, but he still was an effective pitcher for them.
In 2007, Clemens looked pretty much done with the Yankees. He was 44 and pitched more like a No. 4/5 starter instead of a No. 1/2 starter.
I'm not giving this strategy a "ringing endorsement" so I don't know why you're making it seem like I am. Who knows what Verlander does after he becomes a FA in 2025. Does he retire, or does he sign another contract somewhere? Does he sit on the fence for a bit before making a decision? If Verlander wanted to sit out the first 2-3 months of the season, he could and I bet a team would still give him close to $20 million to make 18 starts or so and pitch in the Postseason. It's mainly dependant on the individual pitcher.
I suggested that with Ohtani it might not be a bad idea to just have him make 18-20 or so starts during the regular season so you can have him at 100% in the Postseason. Ohtani as a pitcher has never made more than 28 starts or pitched more than 166 innings. In 2021 and 2023, he only made 23 starts in each of those seasons.