Andy Pettitte officially rejoined the Yankees today, signing a one-year $16 million deal with a player option for 2008. I’m pleased with the signing, but am I just being nostalgic for the glory years or is this indeed a good signing for the Yankees? Let’s see.
This off-season saw Gil Meche, Vincente Padilla, Ted Lilly and Adam Eaton each sign lucrative multi-year deals. Compare any of those pitchers to Pettitte and it’s no contest. Also, the one-year deal doesn’t paralyze the team (see Carl Pavano) for years to come.
So far, so good.
With Randy Johnson coming off back surgery, Mike Mussina a year older and the uncertainty surrounding Igawa, Pettitte provides stability to the rotation. Oh sure, his elbow could flare up, he could twist an ankle covering first or (insert your injury here), but that could happen to any player. And yes, he’s pushing 35, but Pettitte has also made at least 33 starts and pitched over 200 innings in three of the last four years.
Huh!
Is any Yankee fan concerned about the $16 million? O.K., maybe the price of parking at the stadium will be creeping up on $30 and hot dogs will be pushing double digits next year, but it’s not going to keep the Yankees from spending if they need or want someone. So, little Johnny won’t be getting that $60 cap this year. Suck it up, kid. And if you’re looking for bang for your buck, Pettitte has come up big in big games (yeah, he’s had some hiccups too). Face it – you would have preferred Pettitte instead of Jaret Wright in the playoffs last year.
So there it is. It’s more than just reaching back into the past. Pettitte makes the Yankees better. Just gather up your change if you’re heading to the stadium this year.
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This was a horrible signing. Pettitte is a complete waste. He could barely hack it in the NL (AAAA Baseball) with a 13-12 record and a 4.20 ERA. Look for that ERA to bloom to over 5.00 in the real man's league. The Yanks offense will help him (look what it's done for Mussina), but he won't win more than 12 games. The guy is shot.
Don't tell me about how he has come up big in the post season. When? 96'? Please. That was 11 years ago. All I remember is him giving up something like nine runs in 1 1/3 in the WS against the Diamondbacks.
The Yanks did the right thing by letting him go four years ago and using this year's out-of-control contracts as an excuse to sign this bum is a bad way to look at it. The Yanks could have brought someone up from the minors or signed Lilly.
The bottom line is that this does not get the Yanks any closer to winning anything and just puts more money into an over-rated pitcher's pocket.