Pettitte to return in 2008

by anaconda on Dec 3, 2007 8:35 AM EST in News Comment 32 comments

Andy Pettitte, who contemplated retirement this winter, has told his good friends, a few former Astros teammates and some current Yankees teammates that he will return to the Bronx for the 2008 season.

Through people close to Pettitte, the Chronicle has learned that the veteran lefthander has told family members and teammates that he has decided to return to the Yankees in 2008.

Last month Pettitte declined his $16 million player option for 2008 because he wasn't ready to commit to another season. But Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner told Pettitte they would wait for him until February, if necessary, so he could take his time to make a decision.

That wait is over, and the Yankees have been informed of the decision by Pettitte's agent, Randy Hendricks.

When reached by telephone this morning, Hendricks, who was in route to Nashville for the start of baseball's winter meetings today, confirmed that he has advised the Yankees that Pettitte will play for them in 2008.

Gotta wonder how this great news will impact the Johan Santana sweepstakes.

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Very Good News for NYY

(From my accidental double post of this story)

The is very positive for the NYY. If they can manage to land Santana, they could go toe to toe with BOS in the starting pitching department.

At the same time, it puts more pressure on BOS to land Santana to keep their pitching edge over NY.

Curiouser and Curiouser...

by KevinV on Dec 3, 2007 8:41 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

PETITTE IS BACK IN 2008

that's all i wanted for CHRISTMAS stocking.
POSADA..A-ROD...ABREAU..was my gifts under the
tree>>GO YANKS !
http://day-tripper.zlioliday.com

http://day-tripper.zlioliday.com

by johnnypinstripes on Dec 3, 2007 6:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I believe it

If the reporter is writing that he personally confirmed with Hendricks by phone, that is more legit that Herbstreit's "intermediary source who overheard a guy talking about what Les Miles' neighbor told him" report.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Dec 3, 2007 8:47 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Told you so

All you people who seemed to think it was near certain he would retire based on vague hearsay from Andy's father and others close to him weren't reading between the lines.

by SenorSwanky on Dec 3, 2007 9:01 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Woot!

Now the Yanks should really tell the Twins to take it or leave it.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Dec 3, 2007 9:22 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Hallelujah

no really... i'm fine. it's just a game.

by smoly81 on Dec 3, 2007 9:44 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

There is a God ...

Pettitte's act was getting reminiscent of Favre's whine following the end of the NFL season. I'm thrilled he's coming back, and agree with jscape that the Yankees package a solid offer and get down to playing hardball.

"Baseball is the background music of my life." -George Will

by Ronster22 on Dec 3, 2007 9:46 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Pull Hughes out of the deal.

They need Johan a lot less than they did yesterday.

by matthaggs on Dec 3, 2007 9:46 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Agree

Twins should have made their trade on Saturday...they'd have gotten Hughes. Now we should certainly keep Hughes -- well, here's hoping anyway.

by detroit yankee on Dec 3, 2007 10:15 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hooray!

We head in to 2008 intact. That's all you could ask for. The rest is gravy.

Nuke the whales. Save Phil Hughes!

by marcbouch9 on Dec 3, 2007 10:19 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

If this pans out

We should all hope to get Santana for the original asking price: IPK/Melky/Prospect.

Imagine:

Santana
Pettitte
Wang
Joba
Hughes

Two quality lefties on the staff will makes us formidable indeed. Add to that a ground out specialist and two stars-in-the-making, and we suddenly rival BOS for best pitching staff in the league.

The bullpen is another story.

by docgonzo on Dec 3, 2007 10:35 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Boston's package(s)

trump your IPK offering, so keep dreaming.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Dec 3, 2007 10:38 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Perhaps

they throw in a 4th guy. Who knows how serious Boston is about acquiring him anyway, as they may have been just driving the price up. At least there is less pressure to make this move, which gives us an advantage and the ability to play hardball.

Nuke the whales. Save Phil Hughes!

by marcbouch9 on Dec 3, 2007 11:07 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

A fourth might do it

The Yanks can trump a BOS offer without having to cough up Hughes.

by docgonzo on Dec 3, 2007 12:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Santana, Wong, Pettitte, Moose, Joba

With IPK Horne Karstens Rasner et al as backup. If they can have a fair year healthwise they look very strong, even if they have to send Hughes.

Also do not kid yourself about Hughes and Joba in the rotation. That spot is moose'to lose.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)

by Cbeck3 on Dec 3, 2007 11:24 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And lose it he will

like he did last year.

by docgonzo on Dec 3, 2007 12:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

does this mean

Joba stays in the pen? or IPK stays in AAA?

by Soriano NY 12 on Dec 3, 2007 10:42 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

or

Mussina?

a lot of unanswered questions

by Soriano NY 12 on Dec 3, 2007 10:42 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The bluffing game really begins now

One of the these three teams is really going to look stupid.

With Pettitte in the mix, Santana becomes a luxury and not a necessity.

The Yanks could pull Hughes out of the deal.

Minnesota could call Boston and tell them they are about to take the Yanks' offer (not mentioning Hughes is out)

Boston could either up their offer or tell Minny to send him to the Yanks.

Now Minny could go back to the Yanks and tell them that the Sox just upped their offer.

If both the Yanks and the Sox call the Twins' bluff (as they should), one team will get him for less than is being discussed right now, because Johan has already told the Twins trade me now or never.

I'd love to be a fly on the wsll for all of this stuff.

by matthaggs on Dec 3, 2007 10:57 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Whoo!

6 man rotation baby!

by randomize on Dec 3, 2007 11:51 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Andy Andy Andy

YES YES YES

I thought he was going to hold out for the Pettitte family package (as Pete Abe called it) looking for the same deal Clemens got but I'm soooooooooooooooooooo happy to hear this.

"The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." -Casey Stengel

by bxgrl1 on Dec 3, 2007 12:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I would hope they pull Hughes off the table now

...and hope that Boston was just trying to drive up the price, and they back down... Maybe the twins hold onto santana when everybody backs down, and the Yanks can go with IPK/Melky/others to Beane and talk Haren. The next 24 hours or so should be interesting.

You don't realize how easy this game is until you get up in that broadcasting booth. -Mickey Mantle

by NumberSeven on Dec 3, 2007 12:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

yeah

I hope we take Hughes off the table and then Boston takes Ellsbury off and the Twins go "uh oh."

"The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." -Casey Stengel

by bxgrl1 on Dec 3, 2007 12:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yanks are in same spot

likelihood that Pettitte stays healthy all season about the same as Schilling: not high

availability in Sept is a crapshoot

Mussina is done

Joba will never be a starter; needed where he is

who is no. 1 when crunch time comes?

Yanks still need Santana, Hughes is still the price unless Yanks wake up and offer Cano

Personally, from what little I've seen, I doubt Hughes has the personality make-up to be a number one, but young pitchers are hard to guage that way

As a Sox fan, my wish is that neither the Sox nor Yanks get Santana. But it seems that Santana has decided that only these two will pay, so they are locked in a bottle like two desperate scorpions

by Frank Malzone on Dec 3, 2007 1:15 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Sorry, bro

Pettitte is not a 41 year old and has 9 of 13 pro seasons with 200IP+. I don't really see where the injury thing is an issue. He's got the work ethic to avoid that.

Joba has always been a starter with the exception of 2 months in 2007, so I don't see how he "will never be a starter."

Nuke the whales. Save Phil Hughes!

by marcbouch9 on Dec 3, 2007 1:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

As a sox fan

you are just wrong. Hughes doesn't have the personality make up. His near no-no, and in his playoff game he look real ratteled, didn't you see him crying in the dugout. come on get real Hughes dominated when he was healthy. But i expect this from someone that is on team B for bandwagon

re-sign Jaret Wright

by yankeechaser on Dec 3, 2007 3:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And I Think

you are thinking of wakefield not pettitte

re-sign Jaret Wright

by yankeechaser on Dec 3, 2007 3:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

sox fan you make no sense

Maybe you should watch the kid pitch before saying his personality will keep him from being an ACE. The kid's father is ex-military, Phil is may seem quiet but has a fire that is easy to spot if you actually watched the kid pitch. If their ever was a makeup of a future ace HUGHES HAS IT, he's got power, command, smart, focused, was the freaken man in September and agaisnt the Indians.

by miracle96 on Dec 3, 2007 8:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

you might be right about Hughes

not right about the bandwagon

as you might have guessed from my moniker

as for Pettitte, no one can know. But he is a poor bet for your number one

Yanks are different; they don't just aim for good teams; they aim for a championship

and that means you need a number one for the playoffs. Yanks NEED Santana -- or Haren

As a Sox fan, it makes me nervous. I do not want the Yanks to get Santana. But I do not want the Sox to pay the price to get Santana either

by Frank Malzone on Dec 3, 2007 4:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I'll agree with you about Pettitte

his results exceeded his peripherals.

But as anaconda has tried hard to remind us all offseason, it's not about an ace (though an ace would be nice). It's about depth and using as few starters as possible. Pettitte gives us that depth.

It'd be nice not to hold auditions for the 5th starter's position during a game in June next season- something we've done each of the last three seasons.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Dec 3, 2007 4:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs