On Andy Pettitte, the reluctant Yankee
I spoke with a Yankees official about Andy Pettitte today at the Teixeira news conference, and this person basically explained the team's thinking with regard to its role in the current negotiation stalemate (paraphrasing):
The Yankees have evaluated Pettitte as an $8 million pitcher for 2009. They're willing to pay him $10 million because of the relationship they have had with him since the early 90s and because they don't have to worry if he can handle New York, the way they would with some other pitchers they might look at bringing in. But they're not going over $10 million.
This has been communicated to Pettitte, who so far has let the Yankees know that he deems that offer unacceptable. It represents a significant pay cut from the $16 million he made in 2008, and he doesn't think he should have to take that. So things drag on.
"As of right now, our plan is to have the kids (Hughes, Kennedy, Aceves, Coke) come to camp and compete for that (rotation) spot," Brian Cashman said today. "But that could change. Everybody knows how we feel about Andy and what he's meant to this franchise. So we'll see."
The Yankees are content to wait for Pettitte to come to them and accept their offer, and they have good reason to be content. This market is obviously team-favorable (regardless of the player-favorable deals the Yankees have been handing out for the past month), and the Yankees have no reason to believe Pettitte will get or take a better deal from another team.
Personally, I'm with the Yankees on this one. I think Pettitte is nuts. Somebody's offering you $10 million on Jan. 6 in this market, with Derek Lowe, Oliver Perez and Ben Sheets still unsigned? You take it. He's not going to get more anywhere else, and if he waits around, he might find he has to take less. Unless he really is considering retirement, which he's mentioned a few times over the past few years. And if that's the case, from the Yankees' standpoint, they'll wish him well and move on. They want him back, but at their price. Anything more than $10 million, and they don't think he's worth it.
The Yankees have evaluated Pettitte as an $8 million pitcher for 2009. They're willing to pay him $10 million because of the relationship they have had with him since the early 90s and because they don't have to worry if he can handle New York, the way they would with some other pitchers they might look at bringing in. But they're not going over $10 million.
This has been communicated to Pettitte, who so far has let the Yankees know that he deems that offer unacceptable. It represents a significant pay cut from the $16 million he made in 2008, and he doesn't think he should have to take that. So things drag on.
"As of right now, our plan is to have the kids (Hughes, Kennedy, Aceves, Coke) come to camp and compete for that (rotation) spot," Brian Cashman said today. "But that could change. Everybody knows how we feel about Andy and what he's meant to this franchise. So we'll see."
The Yankees are content to wait for Pettitte to come to them and accept their offer, and they have good reason to be content. This market is obviously team-favorable (regardless of the player-favorable deals the Yankees have been handing out for the past month), and the Yankees have no reason to believe Pettitte will get or take a better deal from another team.
Personally, I'm with the Yankees on this one. I think Pettitte is nuts. Somebody's offering you $10 million on Jan. 6 in this market, with Derek Lowe, Oliver Perez and Ben Sheets still unsigned? You take it. He's not going to get more anywhere else, and if he waits around, he might find he has to take less. Unless he really is considering retirement, which he's mentioned a few times over the past few years. And if that's the case, from the Yankees' standpoint, they'll wish him well and move on. They want him back, but at their price. Anything more than $10 million, and they don't think he's worth it.
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