Brian Cashman Flies to See Andy Pettitte

For the second time this week, Yankees' general manager Brian Cashman left the winter meetings to visit a pitcher at his home. Today, he went to see his old friend Andy Pettitte.

The reason for this trip was, according to the Post, to offer the lefty one more shot to take the Yankees one year $10 million offer. Otherwise they will move on.

The rest of the rotation includes CC Sabathia, Chien-Ming Wang, and Joba Chamberlain. If the Yankees are successful in wooing AJ Burnett, that would leave only one more rotation spot to fill.

As the fifth starter in the rotation, the Yankees feel that even $10 million is generous.

“In the real world, Andy is probably now an $8 million-a-year pitcher at most,” a Yankee executive told the Post.  “We are willing to pay $2 million more because we love him, because he is a Yankee and we want it to stay that way.”

If Pettitte turns down the offer the Yankees still have quite a few options. They could step up efforts to sign Derek Lowe or they could take a chance on the often injured Ben Sheets. There are also lower tier free agents like Oliver Perez and Brad Penny who could become possibilities.

Pettitte is the best option for the team. If the rotation does end up including Pettitte and Burnett, as the Yankees are hoping, that leaves no spots to fill and Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes can start the season with no pressure in triple-A. Pettitte’s one year deal would leave the Yankees options in 2010 to plug one of them in the rotation.

If they go and sign another pitcher they are not likely to get him on a short-term contract and there is the possibility they could block one of the young starters.

$10 million is more than fair for Pettitte at this stage in his career. It is similar to the demotion Mike Mussina took after his original Yankee deal of $18 million per season expired and he took $11 million over two. Let’s hope Pettitte takes it.