Joe Girardi Not Sure if Andy Pettitte Will Return

(Zell's Pinstripe Blog)

Joe Girardi is not sure if Pettitte will be a Yankee next season. Andy’s refusal to take a pay cut has not allowed them to reach a deal. As you guys know, the Yankees offered Andy a one-year/$10M deal. He didn’t take the offer though because he didn’t want to take a cut from the $16 million he made last year.

The Dodgers & Cardinals are interested in Pettitte. Some say the Red Sox are interested in Pettitte as well, but I find it hard to believe that they really want him. It was like those rumors about Varitek going to the Yankees. It won’t happen. I’d be surprised if anything developed.

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“You know, he didn’t really give me a feeling either way, so I can’t really answer that for him,” Girardi said yesterday at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas when asked if he had a feeling for whether Pettitte would work for another team.

“We all know that he wants to come back. We want him to come back. It’s just a process that has to take place. It’s one of the things we’ll continue to work on.”

“I’ve just had that feeling all along that he’ll be a Yankee next year,” Girardi said. “Maybe that’s because that’s what I’m used to seeing. Andy is a Yankee, and that’s part of it. But I just have that feeling that he’ll be a Yankee next year.”

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Top of the heap

 

CC Sabathia would become the highest paid pitcher in MLB if he signs the reported seven-year, $161M deal with the Yanks.
Player	Avg. yearly value	Years
CC Sabathia	$23,000,000	2009-15
J. Santana	$22,916,667	2008-13
C. Zambrano	$18,300,000	2008-12
Barry Zito	$18,000,000	2007-13
Jake Peavy	$17,333,333	2010-12
–Source: mlbcontracts.blogspot.com. –Unofficial figures; deferrals not included

Sabathia not last of Yanks’ ambitions / Yankees likely out of running for Teixeira

ESPN.COM reports:

ESPN’s Buster Olney said the Yankees checked back in on Jake Peavy, but that talks went nowhere.

Hot Stove Blog on Rick Ankiel

The Rays could become serious suitors for Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel. In Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine, Tampa Bay might have exactly what the Cardinals are looking for: starting pitching.

The Yankees and three other teams are also thought to have interest in Ankiel, who hit .264 with 25 home runs and 71 RBI in 120 games last season.