The Yankees still want to re-sign free-agent left-hander Andy Pettitte, with one source saying, "The door is not closed. When there's a will, there's a way." Pettitte, 36, has balked at the Yankees' one-year, $10 million offer, but the two sides could compromise by enabling Pettitte to approach his previous $16 million salary through reasonably attainable appearance-based incentives ...UPDATE 4:20 a.m. (yes I'm still up) From John Harper:
From Tyler Kepner:Although Andy Pettitte has frustrated Yankee brass by declining to accept the Bombers' one-year offer of $10 million, the Yankees haven't closed the door on a deal for the veteran lefthander.
According to a person close to the situation, GM Brian Cashman has "had dialogue" in recent days with Pettitte's agents, Randy and Alan Hendricks, leaving open the possibility that Pettitte will return.
A reunion seemed inevitable at the start of the off-season, but now it is uncertain. Pettitte has rejected the Yankees’ one-year, $10 million offer, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations, and there is no standing offer for now.It's amazing to me that this is the same guy that said this back in September:
“Obviously anyone else would say, ‘I’ll go wherever I want to,’ because people want to try to get the most money,” Pettitte said before a Yankees-Angels game in Anaheim, Calif. “But, I mean, I’m not going anywhere, you know what I’m saying? The Yankees know me enough, it’s not like I’m going to hold out. I guess if I had spent all my money or whatever, it might be different. But it’s not about that, really, anymore.”So much for those empty words, huh? To me it seems like holding out is exactly what he's doing.
Earlier this off-season I said that I felt the Yankees should just offer $12-$13 million to get the deal done, and I'm still not against that, but that was before they brought in one of the best 1st baseman in the game. With all the money the Yankees spent this off-season Pettitte should consider himself lucky that the Yanks are still willing to give him the $10 million.
It would be one thing if Pettitte had a great year last year, but he didn't. In fact he was pretty mediocre. And I know he had an arm issue/plus an abbreviated off-season, but mediocre is mediocre. When you don't play up to your contract you should expect to take a paycut.
After this team stood by Pettitte during the Mitchell Report scandal, this is the thanks they get. I hope Pettitte understands how badly he's screwing up his legacy as a Yankee.
26 Comments:
I am not shocked.
Let him go find the money and years some place else. We didn't do right by him.. I admit it. But either did he.
I do think $10 million is about $2 million too low, but still for everything this team has done for Pettitte in the past, most importantly standing by him during the Mitchell Report nonsense, he should have just taken whatever they gave him.
Pat Burrell just signed well below what he's worth. 10 mil in this economy and with his poor performance down the stretch seems generous to me
Please no other team will offer him 10 million in this economy. I am losing respect for Pettitte he is not as honest a guy that media made him out to be.
Good! Let him go I want Hughes to be the 5th starter anyway.
Andy has never forgiven the Yankees for not pursuing him more aggressively when he was a FA in 2003. IMO, it's that simple.
Let's go Hughes...
Dandy Andy --- NOT!
What a two face liar!!! Cash and the Yankees stood by him last year and this is the thanks we get. Furthermore, if he thinks someone will give him more than $10MM, good luck and God speed Andy!
Looks like Olie will be our 5th starter at $10-12MM for 2-3 year deal.
Wait.
CC
AJ
Ollie
Wang (is he going to be traded?)
If not, there is no way that a team with this many high end pitching prospects is going to lock up four spots in the rotation for multiple years, thereby blocking Hughes. Unless Joba is put in the pen in a non-closer role, which is even dumber.
I'd rather give Smoltz a 1 year deal than Perez a 3 year deal.
Pettitte is screwing up his Yankee legacy, too bad for him.
Signing Smoltz for one year would be a reasonable option.
As I mentioned the other day I really don't like the idea of Perez, but Smoltz is a good idea if he's healthy.
But in the end, since it doesn't seem like Pettitte will be back I think they're going to go with Hughes.
Cashman said he was looking for a fifth starter on a 1 year deal on the wfan after the Sabathia/Burnett press conference. Obviously he was talking about Andy. Maybe Jon Garland would be a good 5th starter if you can get him on a 1 year deal he is an innings eater. Perez is a whackjob who is looking for 4 years that would be a horrible signing. Or they should just go to spring training and have competition between Hughes, Kennedy, Aceves & Coke.
This is unbelievable. So much for taking a discount (as though $10M is pocket change) to play for the team that gave you your start, paid you so well through the years, and has been so good to you.
What does he think an aging pitcher coming off a 14-14 record, a worse than league average ERA, along with some arm issues last year should get? He's going to be 37 next year, and is coming off of three straight seasons of a 1.4+ WHIP. $10M is probably more than he's worth.
Shocking what these players do for "pride." I'll tell you right now, that if I was partial to a team and had made $100M+ in my career, I'd JUMP at a $10M, 1 year offer to play for them again. I woudn't hesitate. Pettitte's antics are getting a bit old here.
It's hilarious really, to see just how many players equate salary with respect.
Seriously, if that's what this is about, Pettitte can take a hike. He already ditched the Yankees once when they offered him the same money as Houston (if not more, by some reports) and took their offer, so it's not like this would be a first.
Hughes, Aceves, Kennedy, etc (or one of the remaining FA's) can easily put up a 4.5 league average ERA and put up a .500 record.
I hate phoneys, and Andy is really starting to feel like one. I'm loyal to Yankee players, sometimes to a fault defending everything they do, especially with long-time Yankees, but this is one of those things that's hard for me to take.
Remarkably, despite spending big $$ for CC, AJ and Tex, the Yankees payroll will be SO much less than last year with Pettitte, Giambi, Mussina and Abreu gone. I LOVE the idea of the fifth starter spot being an open competition. People who feel the Yankees team is all STATS and NO grind may have a point, so why not have a spot where somebody needs to grind it out in Spring Training to win it. We don't need a rent-a-pitcher in Garland or Smoltz. And I don't want Ollie (he is the most inconsistent and wild piture in MLB). Lets go home-grown for the fifth starter. Also, if it doesn't work-out come the All-Star break, Cashman will make a trade for a pitcher (as they have in the past). Lets not sign some name just for the sake of signing him. Teixeira and CC were the TWO BEST free agents in the entire class and we got them both. Every SINGLE other FA (including AJ) is a risk...so lets take a risk on our own guys, not some overpaid FA. Lets go to war with the team we have now and see how it all shakes-out. See ya ANDY! He will now be remembered as a guy who took HGH and finished his career as a .500 pitcher. He needed one more year in pinstripes to solidify his Yankee legacy and be part of one more WORLD SERIES. What he is thinking is beyond me.
On the open market Petitte will fetch $8-$9 mil tops. The Yanks made a fair offer and Petitte went back on his word. Furthermore, I'm sick of this idea that the Yankees "let him go" or "didn't do right by him" in 03'. Like pinstripes said, the Yankees made an offer to Petitte equal to the one Houston made, and by most reports more. Petitte wanted to "be closer to his family" and "play with his close friend Roger" (which we later found out they really weren't that close, at least according to Andy) in 03'. The Yankees moved on. And then gave him another shot, stood by him through the HGH mess, and he got a heroes welcome from the fans. I've just had enough of this guy. Especially since his performance on the field is consistently declining. Unlike most fans in this day and age, I am loyal to the interlocking NY, not the players. Petitte doesn't make sense for the Yanks, they have better options in their system.
This deal needs to get done. Putting Hughes in the rotation to start the season is a mistake. Let him start the season in the minors and earn his way back. I love Hughes, but that is what is best for his development, not rush him back to the majors after he struggled last season. On top of that, this pitching staff needs a leader. Sabathia and Burnett are both new faces, Chamberlain and Hughes are young, and Wang, well, doesn't really speak the language. Pettitte has pitched in big games, and won them, on the biggest stage. He's an important part of transitioning the new faces to their new team. So unless Mussina can be talked out of retirement (not going to happen) Pettitte needs to be back. I think the Hendricks brothers know this and that is their leverage (along with the ton of cash they just threw at 3 free agents in a bad market). The Yankees leverage is that noone else will pay 10 million.
jmas12,
What do you want the Yankees to do he's not coming back. They're not getting another pitcher out there for 1 year 10 million.
Nothing wrong with Aceves, Hughes and other guys competing for the 5th spot in ST.
Actually Hughes would be the 4th starter. Joba the 5th.
He'll take 12 mill. I think raising the offer to 12 million is better than forcing Hughes or Aceves into the rotation if they're not ready. If he won't accept the 12 mill then I'd say let him walk, even though I'm not a fan of only one returning starter who has pitched a full season with the Yankees and isn't a leader of the rotation. So unless the Yankees are going to have Mariano sit in the dugout and not the bullpen, I think Pettitte needs to come back. And I do think that the front office feels that way at all, they're just trying to play hardball with the Hendricks brothers, who are driving all this nonesense.
I would have no problem if the Yanks added $2 million to the offer. It won't hurt the Yankees, and would probably get the deal done.
What does bother me is that a man who said all that "I just wanna be a Yankee," "it's not about money" crap is holding out for $2 million. That, to me, is ridiculous.
That's the problem I have as well Greg. I think it's going to create some resentment amongst the fans as well, if he does come back.
It definitely will Bobby.
10 miilion is still alot.
Why should it create negative resentment? These fans had no problem when the organization turned it's back on Tino to chase Giambi, or when Cashman finally got his way and chased out Bernie. This is the same organization that ignored him to chase Gary Sheffield.
Danny,
It's not so much that he's goes somewhere else. It's going somewhere else after saying things like,
“Obviously anyone else would say, ‘I’ll go wherever I want to,’ because people want to try to get the most money, but, I mean, I’m not going anywhere, you know what I’m saying? The Yankees know me enough, it’s not like I’m going to hold out. I guess if I had spent all my money or whatever, it might be different. But it’s not about that, really, anymore.”
He looks like a liar.
And how did they chase out Bernie? The guy was done, there's no reason to keep players around if they cannot help.
As far as Tino is concerned, the Yankees decided to go in another direction and as far as I know there were no hard feelings. I don't look at that as turning their back on him. They felt Giambi was the better option.
It's not like they said "We will definitely bring back Tino, he's the only first baseman we want," and then went out and brought in Giambi.
I agree, Greg.
Concerning Pettitte, see my other post. He's a bum....
Mike
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