Andy Pettitte says no to Yankees

January 6, 8:39 AMNew York Yankees ExaminerPete Sabatini

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After sitting on a $10 million contract offer from the Yankees for two months, Andy Pettitte, according to a report from the New York Times here, has rejected the offer. 

The $6 million pay cut from 2008 seems to be too much to swallow for Pettitte, despite his pledge to play for the Yankees in 2009.

What happened to Andy wanting to be a Yankee?  What happened to it meaning something for him to pitch in the new stadium?  What happened to a disappointing 2008 season wrought with performance enhancing drug admissions? 

Apparently all of that doesn’t mean as much as we thought to Pettitte.  While Andy might be allowing his agents to run away with this thing and play hardball with Cashman, it is the pitcher who should be held ultimately responsible for his actions and his statements.

Before the season ended, Pettitte said, “...anyone else would say, ‘I’ll go wherever I want to,’ because people want to try to get the most money.  But, I mean, I’m not going anywhere, you know what I’m saying? The Yankees know me enough, it’s not like I’m going to hold out.”

It’s hard to pin blame on a player for passing on what he feels is an unacceptable offer at the same time giving the team a pass for not going higher, but in this case the offer is fair and Andy’s decision feels like a punch in the gut to Yankee fans.

If Andy is signed by another team, especially the Dodgers, comparisons will be drawn between the Torre contract situation after 2007 to this situation.  Underperforming personnel with Yankee history of winning getting a low-ball take it or leave it offer that amount to pay cuts of about a third. 

But don’t forget – Torre’s underperformance was getting to the playoffs but not winning the Series while Pettitte’s shortcoming was pitching like a back end starter.  Also, don’t discount that while Torre could be improving as a coach with age, Pettitte, as aging pitchers traditionally do, is on the steepening down side of his career.

The negotiation may not be over between Pettitte and the Yankees, but the club does have other options for the number five starter including Phil Hughes, Alfredo Aceves, or a free agent like Oliver Perez, Jon Garland, or Braden Looper.

Andy Pettitte is overplaying his hand in this negotiation with the Yankees, and Yankee fans won’t forget it.

Photo: David J. Phillip / Associated Press