Girardi: Yanks' Plans Based On Pettitte

Apparently the Yankees really want Andy Pettitte back, and much of their offseason plans will hinge on what Pettitte does. Pete Caldera has more:

To get a better idea of whether the Yankees will become a more urgent suitor for starting pitching this winter, they must receive the answer to one question first.

What is Andy Pettitte's status?

As the Yanks engage in their annual wait for Pettitte to declare he's ready for another season, the club's stance is clear. "Andy is someone we're very, very interested in," manager Joe Girardi said.

"He pitched very well for us last year, he won every clinching game," Girardi said. "And I think pitching is something you have to iron out. It's a huge priority."

One thing that bothers me about this is that Pettitte usually waits until pretty late in the winter to make his decision, Girardi, though, isn't too concerned.

"I don't think his taking his time to make a decision really hurts us," Girardi said.

The skipper also said he didn't get the sense that Pettitte was finished. And if you remember, last season he did say he thought Mike Mussina was done, and he was.

Last year at this time I felt that resigning Pettitte was a key to the rotation. He's a veteran leader of the staff and he's a workhorse. I feel exactly the same way now.