Andy Pettitte, who made $16 million last season and went 14-14 with a 4.54 ERA, would like to return to the Yankees next season - at that same salary.
From Jack Curry:
Whether or not Pettitte will ever hang a pinstriped uniform in that locker is still uncertain. The pitching-needy Yankees want to re-sign Pettitte, and Pettitte reiterated Wednesday that he wanted to return, but the two sides are at a stalemate over his salary.$16 million is way too expensive, and if the Yankees refused to give that amount to a player who actually produced (Bobby Abreu), there is no way Pettitte deserves that amount. While it will be nice to have Pettitte in the rotation to eat up innings - he pitched 204 last season - his production and advanced age doesn't warrant that high of a salary. Pettitte needs to realize this.
“I mean, to tell you the truth, like I’ve told you all a hundred times, I’ve made it loud and clear where I’d like to play at,” Pettitte, 36, said in a telephone interview. “I’m just basically sitting here letting my agents do their job really.”
What Randy and Alan Hendricks, Pettitte’s agents, are trying to do is to make sure their client avoids a pay cut. Pettitte made $16 million last season, one of the highest salaries in the major leagues for a pitcher, and his agents have stressed that he wants the same salary. The Yankees have offered Pettitte $10 million, and they seemingly have no immediate plans to improve their offer.
“We’d like to have him back,” General Manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday. “It’s come to the arena of trying to achieve common ground on money, which is easier said than done.”
2 comments:
When's the last time a pitcher took a pay cut? I agree Andy should do it and stay with the Yankees (we need him for the reasons you mentioned), but I'm not hopeful about this.
If the Yankees really want Pettitte back, hopefully they can reach a compromise. In this economy and with their needs, they can't devote so much money to someone who may not be so reliable.
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