Andy Pettitte Returns Without Ever Leaving

A few days ago, I was going to get around to writing an article about Pettitte and his chances of returning to the Bronx.

After Houston bowed out of any chance of bringing in Pettitte, I had a good feeling he wanted one more taste at glory with the Yankees and would work something out.

Well the New York Yankees and Andy Pettitte beat me to my article because on Monday it became official.

It looks like Houston wouldn't have been an option either way because Pettitte stated he didn't want to play for another team.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman held a conference call with Pettitte on Monday afternoon to announce they agreed to a one-year contract, putting the veteran on the team to open the Yankees' new stadium as a member of the rotation.

The question is, will he get the ball on opening day against the Indians on April 16?

Depending on how it falls, he could get that chance.  He started the final game at the old Yankee Stadium and could start the first game of the new stadium.

"There was never another team brought up, and in my mind I was going to be going back to the Yankees," Pettitte said. "There were certain points that I was worried about it a little bit. ... I'd be lying if I never said, 'Heck, is this ever going to get done?' I was very impatient, but I just trusted things would get done.

"I'm very excited about it," Pettitte went on. "I think we're going to have an unbelievable staff and hopefully we can all stay healthy."

With Pettitte now a Yankee, he bumps the potential sixth starter Phil Hughes out of the rotation.  However, Hughes could get a few starts here and there.

The rotation is now set.

CC Sabathia will be the No. 1 starter, most likely followed by A.J Burnett, Chein-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain, and Andy Pettitte.

"Andy always said every step of the way that he wanted to be a Yankee," Cashman said. "It got complicated because of where we were in our payroll. We all wanted Andy to be a part of our rotation and felt we needed him to be here."

The contract includes performance-based incentives. According to the Associated Press, Pettitte has accepted a base salary of $5.5 million, with innings-pitched and days-on-the-roster incentives that could raise the value of the contract to $12 million.