Andy Pettitte was among the last two of the 171 eligible players to declare for free agency yesterday.
It was a foregone conclusion the veteran lefty would file and a strong indication the 37-year-old hurler isn’t ready to retire. The belief in the Yankees organization is that Pettitte wants to continue pitching for the world champions, and the club would like him back.
Now, the almighty question: For how much?
Last winter, it took Mariano Rivera knocking on Hal Steinbrenner’s door to get Steinbrenner to give GM Brian Cashman the $5.5 million for Pettitte. That was after Pettitte ended the 2008 season with a barking left shoulder, a 14-14 ledger and a 4.54 ERA. It was a career-high in losses and the second-worst ERA of a borderline Hall of Fame career.
Rivera begged Steinbrenner to bring Pettitte back to provide guidance and wisdom to newcomers CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett about pitching in The Bronx. Pettitte did that and more. He went 14-8 with a 4.16 ERA in 32 starts and was brilliant in the postseason when he was 4-0 with a 3.52 ERA in five games. He was the winning pitcher in the clinchers against the Twins (ALDS), Angels (ALCS) and Phillies (World Series).
Since the Yankees didn’t reach deals with Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Pettitte before last night’s midnight deadline, the club lost their exclusive negotiating rights. Now the free-agent trio can talk money with every club.
“If he is healthy, he is still very capable of being a successful pitcher,” an AL talent evaluator said of Pettitte, whose 18 post-season wins are the most ever. “He is a six-inning guy. The question is, what’s that worth?”
Probably substantially more than the $5.5 million base Pettitte took to return last season when he added $5 million in incentives. This is a pitcher who made $16 million in 2008 and 2007. While he can’t expect that much again, who’s to say $12 million isn’t out of reach?
Pettitte went at least seven innings in nine of his 32 starts. Three of those seven-inning stints were in Pettitte’s initial three outings.
Just because Pettitte has made $94.5 million in base salary since 2001 doesn’t mean he will come cheaply.
First, after Sabathia and Burnett, the Yankees’ rotation is a question mark. Signs indicate that Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes will return to the rotation. Pettitte, who is 229-135 in the big leagues, would certainly be ahead of them.
If the Yankees get into the John Lackey free-agent bidding or approach the Blue Jays about Roy Halladay and land one of the stud right-handers, Pettitte in the fourth spot gives the Yankees a monster rotation and would allow them to leave Chamberlain in the bullpen.