According to ESPN.com, the Yankees and starter Andy Pettitte are close to agreeing to an incentive-laden, one-year contract.
The deal, sources told Olney, could be done as soon as Monday afternoon. It would pay Pettitte nearly $6 million, with incentives that could make it worth as much as $12 million.
Pettitte was 14-14 for the Yankees last season with a 4.54 ERA. He started 33 games. Pitching with a sore shoulder, he was 2-7 with a 6.23 ERA in his final 11 starts and missed his last turn of the season.
It was his second season back in New York after three seasons with the Houston Astros.Pettitte began his career with the Yankees, pitching his first nine big league seasons in pinstripes. After last season, indications were that Pettitte and the Yankees wanted to make a deal, but were unable to come to terms on a dollar figure — until talks heated up this weekend.
Pettitte earned $16 million last season.
If he signs, Pettitte would join a projected starting rotation featuring CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain.
So a $10 million, one-year contact wasn’t good enough for Pettitte two weeks ago, but an incentive-laden one-year contract is good enough now? I don’t get it.
Pettitte’s greed cost him $4 million in guaranteed money. He thought he was worth more and could get more than what the Yankees were offering, but he must have realized that pitchers who go 14-14 with a 4.54 ERA (on a great offensive team by the way) don’t earn a lot on the open market.
The Yankees won this battle if Pettitte signs.
