If Pettitte signs elsewhere, regardless of the dollar figure, he should be viewed as a world-class phony forever around here. There should be no more pardons. He should receive no invites to future Old-Timers Games, hear no cheers when the dynastic teams reassemble.
In his moment of need, when it was revealed Pettitte was both a liar and cheater, the Yankees stood by him last season. At that time, Pettitte was only too happy to say the Yankees were the only team he ever wanted to play for any more. He did not say he only wanted to play for the Yankees unless they offer him a paycut. The Yanks have indeed offered that cut. Pettitte made $16 million last year and, according to sources, he was offered $10 million to return in 2009. So far, Pettitte has rejected that bid while his camp has done nothing to dispel reports linking him to Joe Torre and the Dodgers.
Pettitte's route to another team if he does leave became less complicated yesterday when the Yanks did not offer him arbitration. Thus, any team can now sign Pettitte without also having to forfeit a first-round draft pick in compensation. There are probably plenty of clubs that want Pettitte, perhaps a few who would approach $16 million or give him a multi-year deal.
But that should be beyond the point. Last year, Pettitte announced in early December that he was revoking his retirement plans yet again. The Yanks brought him back for those $16 million and spurned Johan Santana, hoping Pettitte could do much of what Santana might. Pettitte forgot to mention one little item to the Yanks: He had spoken already to investigators from the Mitchell Report and was almost certain to be in the report.
When he was in that report, the Yankees did not isolate Pettitte. They rallied around him. GM Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi flanked Pettitte at a press conference last Feb. 18, and Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera attended Pettitte's mea culpa. That was the one in which Pettitte told us he had been lying for years about his involvement with performance-enhancing drugs.
And now they want to pay him some more, add on to the $108 million Pettitte already has made in his career. Just, for now, Pettitte is balking, going back on his word about fidelity to the Yankees. It should be made clear to him that if he walks out on the Yankees now then he is done with the organization forever. There will be no more pardons for good old Andy Pettitte.While I agree that if Pettitte signs with another team it will make all of his "I'll only play for the Yankees or retire" stuff seem, well, phony. I also agree that he may owe the Yankees something for the way they stuck by him last year through all the Mitchell Report stuff, so yes, I would expect him to take a little less money to play for the Yankees, and be happy about it. But with that said I think Sherman takes this a little too far.
"There should be no more pardons. He should receive no invites to future Old-Timers Games, hear no cheers when the dynastic teams reassemble," Sherman says. I disagree completely, I don't think everything he's done as a Yankee should be forgotten and ignored. At worst he should be booed the first time he comes back to the Bronx with another team, but that's it.
As for what he deserves and can get on the market, I'm sure someone will give him something close to the $16 million he made last year, and until today I did not know the offer the Yankees made to him was for $10 million. It's a fair offer, but the reality is that in this pitchers market Pettitte is actually worth more, and as I said can probably get more. So how about the Yankees offer him $12-$13 million and see if he bites.
11 Comments:
The guy who wrote this can shampoo my crotch. Pettite said the yanks were the only team he wants to play for...not the only team he would play for. How do you call him phony because he wants to still play.
12-13 mil is way to much to offer an aging pitcher, who has lost considerable amounts off of his stuff, struggled to get to .500 and had an ERA hovering around 5. Heck, 10 million is too much if you ask me. And Petitte should be willing to take a pay cut to stay with the Yankees. Players in this league do it all the time if it only means a couple million bucks, just not for the Yanks. Maybe Sherman goes too far when he talks about future old-timers games and such, but special treatment for Andy Petitte, and salary concessions should have stopped last year.
Oh and by the way, when did fans stop being loyal to the team and start being loyal to the players?
I totally agree about Pettite taking a cut. Really he should take one but you can't boo the guy for loving baseball.
Anon,
$12 million in this pitchers market is not far too much, not even close.
Loyal to the player over the team? What are you talking about? Nobody is taking that stance. What I'm saying is the Yankees aren't going to fine many(any) other pitchers willing to go year by year. Especially not one as good as Pettitte.
He's also not an aging pitcher that has lost his stuff. He was very good for the first half of last year. Then his shoulder was hurt, and his lack of an off-season - due to the Mitchell Report - caught up with him in August and September causing his poor finish.
And what special treatment are the Yankees giving him? A paycut? How is cutting someone's salary the same as giving them special treatment?
I think the Yankees should sign Pettitte and get it over with already. Our only two pitchers right now are Wang and Joba, both coming off injuries. We have vacancies to fill. Would it really be so bad to have a veteran presence in the rotation, especially with Moose gone? As for booing him if he leaves, please. Whenever the Red Sox boo Damon, it's silly. He went where the money was but he gave them good years and plenty to cheer about.
Well, we'll see what happens. If he goes elsewhere I think that will look pretty lame indeed, but that's his choice. I'm not so sure he can help us to be quite honest with you, but what do I know?
Mike
So according to Sherman and Anon it's ok for the Yanks to shit on him a second time and when he decides to act in his best interest, he's the ass? Maybe the Yanks need to consider the fact that no one else wants to play for them or for Girardi and his staff.
My point is simple, and oh yeah I'm the anon guy everyone is picking on. The market shouldn't dictate the quality of the decisions you make. If the market demands that a pitcher of Petitte's ilk, who is well beyond his prime, warrants a 14-16 million dollar contract that I say let him go. That is not a sound baseball decision. Just becuase the Yanks have holes in their rotation and Petitte would physically fill that hole, doesn't mean you pay #1 money for a bottom of the rotation guy. Sometimes a team has to take it on the chin, and have a sub-par year to be a consistent contender down the road. Are you saying that if Pettite is offered two years elsewhere that the Yanks are required to offer him two or possibly even a third year to sign him, just because as you see it they "screwed" him before? Why is it okay for the player to sell his team up the river for a better deal, but the team isn't afforded the same privilege without the monniker of infidelity. It is in the Yankees "best interest" Danny, to make smart decisions concerning payroll, and play on the field. I don't want a guy whose going to be worn down, costing this team games down the stretch making 16 milliion dollars. I'd rather have a young arm with unlimited potential down the road, doing that.
P.S.
Greg Cohen: My comment about player over team was not directed at you, sorry if it seemed that way. While I disagree in some respect with what you said, I felt your opinion was well-supported and pragmatic. Just feel the Yanks have some better options out there, and I'm tired of their "loyal veterans" using the market to squeeze every dollar out of a team that affords their players more benefits than any other on the planet. I want to see the Yankees be great again, but not at the expense of their dignity.
Anon I know what you're saying, but the Yankees, as well as other teams, have to deal with the market they are dealing with. If the Yankees had a starting staff right now I'd be more willing to let him go, but as of now they only have two starting pitchers, one of which is going to have a strict innings limit. They're going to need to Pettitte and the 200 innings he throws every year.
Another thing; IF Pettitte wanted a long-term deal I would stay away, but there is no reason to take it on the chin for one year when all you need to do is sign him for that one year.
They can afford a few extra million to solidify their staff for one year. There is no reason to "have a sub-par year to be a consistent contender down the road." This contract will have no effect on the Yankees in 2010, 2011, and so on.
This guy Sherman is absurd, who is he to say this? After watching "Immortals" and "Legends" such as Favre, Borque and others switch teams over money how can anyone be surprised this would happen? And you know what, you can't blame them?
As much as he may like reporting for the Post, what if ESPN or SI came out with a deal that doubled his money to work for them. He would be an idiot not to take it, and there's nothing wrong with that. He should get off his ivory tower and stop being such a hypocrite.
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