Report: Pettitte Formerly Rejects Yankees Offer
By Frank Russo ~ January 6th, 2009. Filed under: Frank Russo Rants and Raves.
The New York Times reported late Monday night that Andy Pettitte has rejected the Yankees’ one-year, $10 million offer, and that the Yankees no longer have a standing offer on the table. Yankee officials are placing blame squarely on the shoulders of Pettitte’s agents, the Hendricks Brothers, who have played hardball from the very beginning. Although the door appears to be closing on a Pettitte return, there are some in the Yankee organization who feel that a deal could still get done if the “Damning Duo” soften their demands. Rumors are now starting to circulate that the Dodgers could possibly offer a multi-year deal for Pettitte’s services.
So where does the Pettitte situation leave the Yankees? Well, it was just last week that we reported, much to the chagrin of some posters to this web site, that New York had contacted the Reds about the availability of both Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang. With any trade with Cincinnati now apparently dead, Cashman could set his sights on any number of available free agent pitchers, including Randy Wolf, Oliver Perez and Ben Sheets. They can also still explore the trade market, where there are a number of pitchers available, including Jared Washburn.
One up and coming pitcher to look out for this season is Braves minor league pitcher Thomas Hanson. Apparently, the Yanks offered Melky Cabrera, along with a package of several pitching prospects for the young “phenom,” but were flatly turned down. Hanson went 8-4 with 114 strike outs, (in just 18 games), for the Mississippi Braves of the Southern League in 2008.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:26 am
I don’t care what the reports have said lately – they will end up resigning Pettitte sooner or later.
By all media accounts, the Yanks weren’t supposed to sign Mark Teixeira either and the conventional wisdom had him signing with the Red Sox less than 24 hours before the Yanks swooped in and got him.
Pettitte’s return makes too much sense for both sides for this to end any other way.
The Reds can keep Harang and Arroyo.
January 6th, 2009 at 6:07 am
My biggest question is with no Andy Pettitte, where does that put the Mets in the signing of Lowe? What is the impact going to be?
January 6th, 2009 at 11:39 am
I saw Tommy Hanson pitch in the Arizona Fall League recently and the guy looks like a stud. If the Yanks could get him, that would be a coup.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Andy’s last name is spelled PETTITTE.
Better to let Phil Hughes get a shot.