Pettitte Deal Is Close

[love_that_reefer]

ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Yankees and Andy Pettitte are close to agreeing to an incentive-laden, one-year deal.
The contract may guarantee Pettitte just $6 million, but he'd have a chance to double that salary if he stays healthy. Such a deal would allow him to save face after the Yankees pulled a $10 million offer. Pettitte has pitched 200 innings in four straight seasons, so he'd have a much better chance of maxing out his contract than some of the other pitchers who have taken one-year deals this winter.

I have kind of flip flopped a tad seeing Pettitte's price come down. With the current market and instability of the current rotation, Pettitte could make for a decent fifth starter. If he keeps up his usual 200 innings, he will provide useful with the Yankees going with a young bullpen. I still think the Yankees could have done better but it being as late as it is in the year, they had to make the move. I like Pettitte and always have. I just think he is at the end of a damn good career and holding on by a thread.

[ljshorty89]

Well, Pettite had no bargaining chip. The Astros, Dodgers, and Mets all stated publicly little or no interest. It was either retire or go to the Yankees. He obviously wasn't ready for retirement. The thing that annoys me is that next year, we'll have this whole stupid charade all over again, with (maybe?) the same result?

[love_that_reefer]

Depends on how well or how bad his season goes. If it goes like I think it will (which I really hope it doesn't), it will be his last season.

[ljshorty89]

True. He's still a bargain either way if it's only 6 mill guaranteed. Even if the deal goes up to 8 or 10, it's still not THAT bad a contract. I just don't see why Pettite didn't take the original 10 million dollar offer.

[NYgiantsfan5689]

I think this is a good deal for the Yankees. Really, their 3 choices were Pettitte, Sheets, and Hughes. I think Pettitte is by far the best choice because it contrasts Burnett's injury proneness with consistency, which he has proven. And Hughes needs to spend this year mostly in AAA IMO, making spot starts when Burnett or anyone else hits the DL. Pettitte won't be anything special, but he won't be bad, and it's the consistency we need.

[ljshorty89]

This also lessens the market for Sheets, to maybe the Mets can go after him as another SP after Perez(or if we don't get Perez)

[browntown653]

A deal that needed to be made, and a good one.

[nyjunc]

I'm happy to have Andy back but I wanted Hughes to get a shot. I'm sure there will be injuries though and he should get a shot at some point.

[NYgiantsfan5689]

Hughes will get PLENTY of shots to prove his worth. I feel like this year is his make or break year

[love_that_reefer]

I like this deal a lot more now that I know its only $5.5 million guaranteed.

[NYgiantsfan5689]

A half a million really doesn't make that much of a difference here...

[Slyder]

A half a million really doesn't make that much of a difference here...

Rest of baseball... yes. At Yankee HQ? You could probably find a half a million in sofa cushions. Yanks certainly get better bang for their buck with Pettite compared to what the Reds got.

[Jim Colyer]

I always enjoy watching Pettitte pitch. Good to have him back.