Update (11:30 AM) – Digital Sports Daily, via twitter, reports that the Yankees have resigned Andy Pettite to a 1-year, 11.75 million dollar contract.
The Yankees are closing in on a deal with Andy Pettitte for about $12MM, tweets SI’s Jon Heyman. He says the contract will be finalized today.
I think that we all knew this was coming. Andy was doing his “I want more money so I might retire” thing, the Yankees paid him, and he’s back. Andy Pettitte will bring his above-average innings and playoff experience yet again to the Bronx, and I’m sure all Yankee fans are happy about that.
This decreases the need for a big pitching acquisition, though I’m sure the Yankees would love to go into the year with only one of Hughes and Chamberlain in the starting rotation, especially now that their first backup plan Ian Kennedy is out of the picture. I still advocate a low-cost, high-risk player like Rich Harden or Ben Sheets. And the Yankees are rumored to be on that track as well, so we’ll see.
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I’m glad that Andy and Cash were able to come to terms a little bit faster this time around. Winning a title sure helps with motivating a guy to stick around for one more try, huh?
Welcome back, Andy! MJ(Quote)
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
December 9th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Agreed. he’s a perfect fit for this team, and I saw nothing last year that would suggest a regression. With a guy like Penny getting 7.5 guaranteed, this is a nice move. Moshe Mandel(Quote)
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 9th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Andy really proved he still can pitch this year and since he was the first guy in the history of baseball to win all 3 series clinching games in one playoffs he deserved it! The other Chris H(Quote)
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Two days ago I predicted $12 million in a comment. Guess that means I could be a GM or a palyers’ agent. The Scout(Quote)
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 9th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Do it! The other Chris H(Quote)
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Good for everybody involved. LeftyLarry(Quote)
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With Pettitte in the coop, now we need to sign, at least, one other starter that Yankee fans would feel comfortable pitching a Game 4 in a post season series.(Maybe even a Game 2, in a second or third round,too.)
We can’t go into another post season with 3 starters, or we will be dethroned.
No team can be fortunate enough to pull off the 3 man rotation trick 2 yrs in a row, in the post season.
Right now, Harden doesn’t do it for me (maybe with a decent full season of healthy work in NY). Sheets would, if only he could be healthy in Oct. Lachey would give me confidence. And,of course, my dream is still a lowered priced Halladay.
However, Harden would be better than Mitre or Gaudin, and the 2009 versions of Joba or Hughes. A Baltimore version of Bedard would work, too.
Cashman said he was working on it in his interview today. I wonder who it will be? OldFan(Quote)
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The other Chris H Reply:
December 9th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
My thinking is which of these guys are you confident starting in the playoffs? Hughes, Joba, Mitre, Gaudin, Aceves, McAllister, Nova? If the answer is none of them we need another pitcher!
Agree completely with OldFan if we try and do the 3 man rotation thing again we will be bumped before the WS.
Not to mention that idea also completely relies on Pettitte and AJ Burnett both pitching 200+ innings again this year and for 2 guys with major injury histories I doubt you can expect that… Imagine if one misses the playoffs?!?
Sabathia
Pettitte
Hughes
Joba
Mitre/Gaudin
or
Sabathia
Burnett
Hughes
Joba
Mitre/Gaudin
I’m not high on Bedard but he is my choice after Sheets… If Sheets wants 12 million he may not be signed for a long time, I could see giving him an incentive laden deal that would allow him to make up to 12 million but no one will give him 10+ guaranteed after coming off surgery in a year he didn’t pitch once. The other Chris H(Quote)
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OldFan Reply:
December 9th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Agree with everything. Spot on.
I think the Yankees understand all this too.
I believe that you can count on Burnett and/or Pettitte missing time next yr.
I don’t know about Joba and Hughes. We have seen them both pitch shut down games into the late innings, so we know they can do it, just not consistently, over a full season. Maybe it’s about time for one or both of these guys to finally click as a starter.
I wouldn’t have been too paniced if Girardi started Gaudin in a game in the playoffs. He would have gotten the team prepared by going around to everyone saying, OK, we are gonna need some runs tonight. It may have worked for us.
I just think that the yankees better behoove themselves to get more good starting depth this winter.
Cashman hinted around doing all this in his comments this afternoon, so he’s obviously thinking about/working on some people. You know, he mentioned Nova, as a up and comer who has a chance for the rotation. (It was the only longshot he mentioned, along with Gaudin, Alceves, and Mitre, i believe. This is a significant clue.)
We need pitching, pitching, pitching—-right now. OldFan(Quote)
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