Yankees sign Pettitte to 1 yr deal with option

[jacksonianmarch]

NICE!!!


ESPN's Buster Olney is reporting that Andy Pettitte will return to the Yankees on a one-year contract with an option for 2008.

The Houston Chronicle says it's a $16 million contract with a player option for 2008. The Astros seemed to know this was coming when they attempted to trade for Jon Garland. Hopefully, they at least improved their one-year, $12 million offer, an especially preposterous figure given that Garland is due $22 million over two years. The Yankees aren't exactly getting an ace here -- in his final six seasons in New York, the only year in which he had an ERA under 3.99 was one in which he was limited to 22 starts -- but Pettitte is a better bet than Ted Lilly and Gil Meche, even before accounting for the fact that he didn't require a long-term commitment. The club may now seek to dump as much of Carl Pavano's contract as possible. Also, it seems quite likely that Scott Proctor will remain in the pen.

[Coco's Disciples]

Thats dandy!

[schillingouttheks]

I think I'm the most excited of you all.

:lol: I'm just setting myself up to eat crow, aren't I?

[jacksonianmarch]

I think I'm the most excited of you all.

:lol: I'm just setting myself up to eat crow, aren't I?

yeah. He still has a lot left in that tank.

[Soxfan#1]

Is jack a yanks fan?

[schillingouttheks]

He doesn't disclose his fandom, but I'd be willing to bet that he is.

[Coco's Disciples]

Yes, he absolutely is.

[riverside sluggers]

Very good signing by the Yanks. It is pricey but it is just for 1 year, Petitte was a lethal Sox killer in his time wearing pinstripes. Goodbye Lilly!! Oh hey its uh Petitte... damn

[ARod2212]

Yankees resigned my favorite player for my birthday. Thank you Brian.

[TheKilo]

Andy Pettitte isn't expected to take his physical for the Yankees for another 10 days.
The Yankees may wait until then before officially announcing the deal, though GM Brian Cashman has admitted that it's done. Pettitte gets a one-year, $16 million contract with a $16 million player option for 2008. There's apparently a gentleman's agreement between the two sides that he won't exercise the option if he's injured.


2/32 takes some of the shine off the deal...but all in all a good signing.

[Gom]

Well, the Yankees definitely got someone on their terms. If you look at it like the Yankees did, Pettitte is a stop gap player. Next year, RJ comes off the books with his 15+ million, followed by Pettitte and his 16 million. The year after that, both Mussina and Pavano come off the books. I give Cashman credit for improving the team without tying up the books for years to come.

So now, the rotation looks like this:

Wang
Pettitte
Mussina
Johnson
Pavano/Igawa/Karstens

With Hughes and Sanchez in the wings, and being eased in slowly, it definitely looks good for the long run.

You guys may laugh, but if Pavano comes back and pitches decently, say with a 4.50 ERA, the Yankees have as deep a rotation as there is. Not bad...

The gap widens....

[TheKilo]

Well, the Yankees definitely got someone on their terms. If you look at it like the Yankees did, Pettitte is a stop gap player. Next year, RJ comes off the books with his 15+ million, followed by Pettitte and his 16 million. The year after that, both Mussina and Pavano come off the books. I give Cashman credit for improving the team without tying up the books for years to come.

So now, the rotation looks like this:

Wang
Pettitte
Mussina
Johnson
Pavano/Igawa/Karstens

With Hughes and Sanchez in the wings, and being eased in slowly, it definitely looks good for the long run.

You guys may laugh, but if Pavano comes back and pitches decently, say with a 4.50 ERA, the Yankees have as deep a rotation as there is. Not bad...

The gap widens....

You had me til the last part, homie. Pettitte's deal will be judged on whether or not he makes the Yankee's rotation better. if he does, it's a success.

But "the gap widens.."? Does it slam shut when the Sox sign Matsuzaka?

[Coco's Disciples]

We had a "deep" rotation last year too. I don't call a bunch of bodies a deep rotation. You have 4 good starters then a bunch of ?'s to fill the 5th spot.

[TheKilo]

We had a "deep" rotation last year too. I don't call a bunch of bodies a deep rotation. You have 4 good starters then a bunch of ?'s to fill the 5th spot.

*2 good starters (Wang, Mussina)
*2 - Pettitte - can he rebound in a much tougher division?
Johnson - can he stay healthy?

Then you have the #5 spot.

As it is, I think the Sox's rotation is slightly better overall, but the Yanks have the huge pen advantage.

[Gom]

We had a "deep" rotation last year too. I don't call a bunch of bodies a deep rotation. You have 4 good starters then a bunch of ?'s to fill the 5th spot.

Not many teams have a solid 5.

However, the potential we have with #5 is better than most team's #4.

I am still holding out that dipshit has something left. Remember, in Florida, he was pretty much as good as Beckett. Imagine if they both come back and pitch the way they can. See you in the ALCS.

[Gom]

*2 good starters (Wang, Mussina)
*2 - Pettitte - can he rebound in a much tougher division?
Johnson - can he stay healthy?

Then you have the #5 spot.

As it is, I think the Sox's rotation is slightly better overall, but the Yanks have the huge pen advantage.

I think Pettitte has had marginal success in the AL East the last time around, don't you think? If he pitches like he did in the second half of last year...hope you guys have enough for the wild card.

[TheKilo]

I think Pettitte has had marginal success in the AL East the last time around, don't you think? If he pitches like he did in the second half of last year...hope you guys have enough for the wild card.

238 hits, 70 walks, 27 homers in the NL Central. 1.43 WHIP.

And now he's moving to the AL East? Man, you're crazy you you don't expect some kind of decline from Pettitte.

BUT...he's better than Jaret Wright. And that makes your team better.

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

Whats his second half numbers Kilo? Or his 2005 numbers? His 2006 numbers are skewed due to a horrible 1st half. His second half numbers are outstanding.

[Coco's Disciples]

Pavano didn't pitch at all...we cannot expect him to win 18 games with a 3 ERA. I'm banking on 6-10 wins, 4.5-5 ERA.

This guy had 1 good year basically.
Career: 61-64, 4.27 ERA, 673 K in 1037 IP.
Hes not that good...

[TheKilo]

Whats his second half numbers Kilo? Or his 2005 numbers?

Did I not say he makes your rotation better? All I'm saying you're foolish if you think he's going to put up a sub-3.00 ERA in the AL East.

And if the WHIP doesn't go down, then he'll hover around 4-4.5.

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

Did I not say he makes your rotation better? All I'm saying you're foolish if you think he's going to put up a sub-3.00 ERA in the AL East.

And if the WHIP doesn't go down, then he'll hover around 4-4.5.

Besides Halladay what SP puts a a sub 3 ERA in the AL easy anyway? I'm expecting what Pettitte has done through his career in the AL east.

[TheKilo]

Besides Halladay what SP puts a a sub 3 ERA in the AL easy anyway? I'm expecting what Pettitte has done through his career in the AL east.

That's fine, but can you really live with a 1.43 WHIP in the AL East? For $16 million?

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

That's fine, but can you really live with a 1.43 WHIP in the AL East? For $16 million?
Again dont you think his 1.43 WHIP last year is a little skewed due to his horrible 1st half? I think he can live off of his career WHIP.

[TheKilo]

Again dont you think his 1.43 WHIP last year is a little skewed due to his horrible 1st half? I think he can live off of his career WHIP.

Well what was the reson for the horrible WHIP? Was he hurt?

Plus he's a year older.

I've said he makes your rotation better. So as of now it's a good deal. But what happen's if he puts up a mid 4s ERA and goes to a .500 record? Is the $16 million worth it?

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

Well what was the reson for the horrible WHIP? Was he hurt?

Plus he's a year older.

I've said he makes your rotation better. So as of now it's a good deal. But what happen's if he puts up a mid 4s ERA and goes to a .500 record? Is the $16 million worth it?
Maybe its just as simple as him getting off to a bad start? His second half numbers dont suggest a decline thats for sure. Well what happens if Matsuzaka bombs out, or J.D. Drew hits 230. Come on thats a silly question. Of course its a bad deal just like any other deal would be bad if the player doesnt proform.

[TheKilo]

Maybe its just as simple as him getting off to a bad start? His second half numbers dont suggest a decline thats for sure. Well what happens if Matsuzaka bombs out, or J.D. Drew hits 230. Come on thats a silly question. Of course its a bad deal just like any other deal would be bad if the player doesnt proform.


Exactly. So what were we arguing about?

[jacksonianmarch]

You had me til the last part, homie. Pettitte's deal will be judged on whether or not he makes the Yankee's rotation better. if he does, it's a success.

But "the gap widens.."? Does it slam shut when the Sox sign Matsuzaka?

there is a major gap inbetween the teams assuming everything goes as planned on both sides. You have to be blind to not see it. The Yankees were the MUCH better team last season. Their offense and bullpen were sound and at the end of the day their rotation was much better over the entire season and that was with Jaret Wright and a MASH unit pitching in the 4 and 5 hole respectively. Remove those guys and add in Pettitte, Igawa, and potentially a healthy Pavano (lolololol, I cannot stop laughing when I put healthy and Pavano next to each other, HAHAHAHAHAHA, sorry) and the yankees are in business. Consider this for a second. The yankees top 3 in the rotation last yr threw 620IP. That is solid. Their 4 and 5 spots averaged something like 130IP per slot. That is 70IP per slot that went to the bullpen. If the yankees get out of Pettitte what they should get and Igawa is able to at least reproduce his durability, then the yankees will have what they have yearned for for the past few seasons. Not a lock down, ace loaded staff, but a staff that can eat innings. The offense is going to push 1000 runs again, something they would have accomplished last season if not for injury and now, this season, they will get a full season of Abreu and Matsui when last season they got 2 months of each. The bullpen is loaded, but is not terribly capable of being heinously overloaded. Hence adding rotation durability is very important and something that should have been alleviated with Pettitte and Igawa coming on board.

As for the overall +/- for 2006, the yankees dealt away or lost 2 months worth of Sheff, 137IP of Wright, a horrible outing by Dotel, the infamous Bubba Crosby, and likely Ron Villone. As of right now they have added Pettitte, Igawa, Britton and 2 top tier pitching prospects and one long range guy. The only holes remaining include a lefty reliever (potentially Marte) and a defensive right handed 1b. Nothing big. The 25 man is essentially complete with 12 spots of the pen essentially secured. If everything bounces right in the yankees rotation, then the staff will eat 1000IP and that bullpen will have an absolutely MONSTER season with the lessened workload.

As for the sox, their rotation last yr was awful with injuries and ineffectiveness of the like. Schilling showed his age late as he finally started to show signs of breakdown (rather than freak shit that occured in 2004). Beckett showed ZERO signs of turning it around. His lack of a second pitch will be his undoing in Boston and right now he is not that good, at all. Wakefield is the guy I think will do the most for this pitching staff. When he is right, he goes 200+IP of 4.5ERA ball and wins half his decisions. A #5 like that is invaluable. Papelbon may or may not bust as a starter, there are plenty of cases of guys who are tried as starters after closing and flat out blow up. Plus shoulder concerns will be monitored carefully. Matsuzaka is a guy who apparently has lights out stuff, but his durability is something that will be questionable. If everything bounces the right way for the sox, they may have a 5 man rotation that is very very good. They may have 3 guys who surpass 200IP and have 2 others who they are very careful with as the mainstay of the future.

But who do they hand the ball to? Last season they had the 21st ranked bullpen in baseball with a 4.51ERA. Remove Papelbon and you have a bullpen era that stands near 5.10. That would be good for 28th in the MLB in front of only KC and Baltimore, two teams that ironically got a whole lot better in the pen this offseason. And what have the sox done to fix that? The Keith Foulke situation was a disaster and he left in a tizzy. But the funny thing is, his era was 4.3, remove him and that era soars up to the 5.25 range. The resigned timlin, but his post AS break ERA was 6+, that is HORRIBLE. They got a matchup lefty in Okajima, but how much can that guy really help when the team may ask him to face both lefties and righties? There is no closer, the setup man had a 6+ ERA in the second half and their only hope is Hansen and DelCarmen? Two kids who have shown no ability to handle the pressure at all and now they will have a serious, strong role in a bullpen in arguably the most rabid sports society in the entire world? Man, that is BAD news.

We wont event talk offense. Lugo and Drew will return then to the top 10 in the majors in total offense, but they arent fixes to the problem. There is still a possibility that their 7-9 will be a black hole which is something that no yankee fan or fan of any other AL team in 2004 would have considered them at the time. They are ploddingly slow, and they K a ton. The blend that made 2004's offense so special has been replaced with a mysterious mix that may work, may not.

Either way, ksushi, the yankees started out with the better team this offseason, nobody can dispute that. You added Matsuzaka (maybe), Okajima, Lugo, and Drew. The Yankees added Pettitte, Igawa, and a bunch of kids, plus maybe the ability to get a full season out of Abreu, Matsui and Pavano (LOLOLOL). I think the gap is very wide unless Hansen comes up and closes it shut. Matsuzaka is someone who will have a small impact on your overall win %, Hansen will be more important, and that is scary.

But who do they hand it off to?

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

Exactly. So what were we arguing about?

I dont really know anymore :lol:

[TheKilo]

there is a major gap inbetween the teams assuming everything goes as planned on both sides. You have to be blind to not see it. The Yankees were the MUCH better team last season. Their offense and bullpen were sound and at the end of the day their rotation was much better over the entire season and that was with Jaret Wright and a MASH unit pitching in the 4 and 5 hole respectively. Remove those guys and add in Pettitte, Igawa, and potentially a healthy Pavano (lolololol, I cannot stop laughing when I put healthy and Pavano next to each other, HAHAHAHAHAHA, sorry) and the yankees are in business. Consider this for a second. The yankees top 3 in the rotation last yr threw 620IP. That is solid. Their 4 and 5 spots averaged something like 130IP per slot. That is 70IP per slot that went to the bullpen. If the yankees get out of Pettitte what they should get and Igawa is able to at least reproduce his durability, then the yankees will have what they have yearned for for the past few seasons. Not a lock down, ace loaded staff, but a staff that can eat innings. The offense is going to push 1000 runs again, something they would have accomplished last season if not for injury and now, this season, they will get a full season of Abreu and Matsui when last season they got 2 months of each. The bullpen is loaded, but is not terribly capable of being heinously overloaded. Hence adding rotation durability is very important and something that should have been alleviated with Pettitte and Igawa coming on board.

As for the overall +/- for 2006, the yankees dealt away or lost 2 months worth of Sheff, 137IP of Wright, a horrible outing by Dotel, the infamous Bubba Crosby, and likely Ron Villone. As of right now they have added Pettitte, Igawa, Britton and 2 top tier pitching prospects and one long range guy. The only holes remaining include a lefty reliever (potentially Marte) and a defensive right handed 1b. Nothing big. The 25 man is essentially complete with 12 spots of the pen essentially secured. If everything bounces right in the yankees rotation, then the staff will eat 1000IP and that bullpen will have an absolutely MONSTER season with the lessened workload.

As for the sox, their rotation last yr was awful with injuries and ineffectiveness of the like. Schilling showed his age late as he finally started to show signs of breakdown (rather than freak shit that occured in 2004). Beckett showed ZERO signs of turning it around. His lack of a second pitch will be his undoing in Boston and right now he is not that good, at all. Wakefield is the guy I think will do the most for this pitching staff. When he is right, he goes 200+IP of 4.5ERA ball and wins half his decisions. A #5 like that is invaluable. Papelbon may or may not bust as a starter, there are plenty of cases of guys who are tried as starters after closing and flat out blow up. Plus shoulder concerns will be monitored carefully. Matsuzaka is a guy who apparently has lights out stuff, but his durability is something that will be questionable. If everything bounces the right way for the sox, they may have a 5 man rotation that is very very good. They may have 3 guys who surpass 200IP and have 2 others who they are very careful with as the mainstay of the future.

But who do they hand the ball to? Last season they had the 21st ranked bullpen in baseball with a 4.51ERA. Remove Papelbon and you have a bullpen era that stands near 5.10. That would be good for 28th in the MLB in front of only KC and Baltimore, two teams that ironically got a whole lot better in the pen this offseason. And what have the sox done to fix that? The Keith Foulke situation was a disaster and he left in a tizzy. But the funny thing is, his era was 4.3, remove him and that era soars up to the 5.25 range. The resigned timlin, but his post AS break ERA was 6+, that is HORRIBLE. They got a matchup lefty in Okajima, but how much can that guy really help when the team may ask him to face both lefties and righties? There is no closer, the setup man had a 6+ ERA in the second half and their only hope is Hansen and DelCarmen? Two kids who have shown no ability to handle the pressure at all and now they will have a serious, strong role in a bullpen in arguably the most rabid sports society in the entire world? Man, that is BAD news.

We wont event talk offense. Lugo and Drew will return then to the top 10 in the majors in total offense, but they arent fixes to the problem. There is still a possibility that their 7-9 will be a black hole which is something that no yankee fan or fan of any other AL team in 2004 would have considered them at the time. They are ploddingly slow, and they K a ton. The blend that made 2004's offense so special has been replaced with a mysterious mix that may work, may not.

Either way, ksushi, the yankees started out with the better team this offseason, nobody can dispute that. You added Matsuzaka (maybe), Okajima, Lugo, and Drew. The Yankees added Pettitte, Igawa, and a bunch of kids, plus maybe the ability to get a full season out of Abreu, Matsui and Pavano (LOLOLOL). I think the gap is very wide unless Hansen comes up and closes it shut. Matsuzaka is someone who will have a small impact on your overall win %, Hansen will be more important, and that is scary.

But who do they hand it off to?

It happens. Maybe if 60% of the rotation doesn't go on the DL this year we'll have a shot.

[jacksonianmarch]

Pettitte 2005 6.6IP/start 2.39ERA 4.1K/BB 1.03WHIP
Pettitte 2006 post AS break 6.2IP 2.80ERA 3.2K/BB 1.23WHIP

similar, but he was definitely better in 2005, but he made strides in every single category after the AS break last season. 2005 was more of a career yr as it was his first yr that he had less hits than IP sine 97. His WHIP in NY hovered near 1.33 his last few yrs, so his last half last season would likely be on par with his AL equivalent.

Listen, I am not saying the guy is going to post an era under 3 here. I see him as a guy who uses what he is given extremely well. This is Andy Pettitte. He will be given a 6 run lead and win you a game, not caring if he gives up a few runs, or he is the guy who has one run to work with and he wont bend. This is where he differs from Clemens. Pettitte is not in this thing for stats. But if you need him to hold the fort he will. He may not give you a shutout when your team scores 9 runs, which looks nice but is meaningless, he will win you that game, which is all I care about, and he will eat some innings. I could easily see a 1.3ish WHIP, an ERA around 3.8-4.2, 210+IP and 17-20 wins just by virtue of how he pitches.

[jacksonianmarch]

It happens. Maybe if 60% of the rotation doesn't go on the DL this year we'll have a shot.

Lets not assume the yankees didnt have problems in their rotation either. Cmon now. Schilling and Beckett both got close to 200IP or surpassed it. Wake still got to around 150. It is not like you had a 2005 yankees on your hands.

[TheKilo]

Lets not assume the yankees didnt have problems in their rotation either. Cmon now. Schilling and Beckett both got close to 200IP or surpassed it. Wake still got to around 150. It is not like you had a 2005 yankees on your hands.


Hold on a second. You comparing the Red Sox pitching injuries to the Yankees?

Wang - 33 GS, 218 IP
Johnson - 33 GS, 205 IP
Mussina - 32 GS, 197.2 IP
Wright - 27 GS, 140 IP (still made his starts)
Chacon/Lidle/Ponson - 23 GS


Compared to Sox:
Schilling - 31 GS, 204 IP
Beckett - 33 GS, 204.2 IP
Wakefield - 23 GS, 140 IP (comparable to Wright, went down with Injury)
Lester - 15 GS, 81.1 IP (went down with injury)

Then you have the shit crew of Jason Johnson/Kyle Snyder/Matt Clement - 43 GS.

Wells - 8 starts, went down with injury
Clement went down with injury.

You're kidding youself if you don't think not having Wakefield and Wells instead of Johnson and Snyder gives us a better chance to win last year.

The Yankees rotation problems are that Chacon got figured out and Pavan had sand in his vagina.

[jacksonianmarch]

so if you have the above situation, knowing that Clement is out, and you add Papelbon and Matsuzaka to the mix, how in the hell does that bullpen get figured out and how the hell can you say that the injury bug isnt making its way back for the suddenly human Schilling, the shoulder of Paps, or the elbow of Matsuzaka who has been overworked a whole lot in Japan. If healthy, the sox rotation will be very solid, but their injury concerns are worse than the yankees are right now and that includes sandly clit Pavano.

[TheKilo]

so if you have the above situation, knowing that Clement is out, and you add Papelbon and Matsuzaka to the mix, how in the hell does that bullpen get figured out and how the hell can you say that the injury bug isnt making its way back for the suddenly human Schilling, the shoulder of Paps, or the elbow of Matsuzaka who has been overworked a whole lot in Japan. If healthy, the sox rotation will be very solid, but their injury concerns are worse than the yankees are right now and that includes sandly clit Pavano.

And the back of RJ
And the shoulder of Wang
etc.

[jacksonianmarch]

And the back of RJ
And the shoulder of Wang
etc.

wang's shoulder is not an issue. RJ's back, which flared up last yr, and Mussina's arm (which flared up last yr) and Pavano's clitoris and labia majora (which flared up every year) are always concerns. The yankees have depth in the rotation. 6 deep in veteran starters with Karstens and Rasner at the MLB level and Clippard, Hughes, and Sanchez in AAA. Their depth is a strength for the first time in a long time.

[MANNYHOF24]

thats what we were saying last year

[riverside sluggers]

The 3-4-5-6 of Ortiz, Ramirez, Drew, Tek have some nice stats against Petitte

[a700hitter]

The title of this thread is really misleading. It's really a two-year deal for a pitcher with a bad elbow. Why would Pettitte walk away from $16 million in 2008. He'd have to be the biggest fool in the world.

[jacksonianmarch]

The 3-4-5-6 of Ortiz, Ramirez, Drew, Tek have some nice stats against Petitte

Drew and Tek? Drew cannot hit lefties and Tek wont have nice stats against anyone.

[jacksonianmarch]

thats what we were saying last year

until you traded away a reliable and cheap arm for wimpy.

[jacksonianmarch]

The title of this thread is really misleading. It's really a two-year deal for a pitcher with a bad elbow. Why would Pettitte walk away from $16 million in 2008. He'd have to be the biggest fool in the world.

there is an agreement that Pettitte will decline the option if he is injured. A bad elbow is subjective. Pavano had a mildly bad elbow and missed the whole season. Aside from 04 surgery, Pettitte has been very reliable and should continue to be so.

[ORS]

until you traded away a reliable and cheap arm for wimpy.
Wimpy? I expect more from ya, Jacko. That's Gom level stuff right there. You respond vehemently about not trolling here, and for the most part I agree, but that lends credence to the notion. Besides, it's not even accurate, the guy would twist you into a pretzel. He's a freak.

[jacksonianmarch]

Wimpy? I expect more from ya, Jacko. That's Gom level stuff right there. You respond vehemently about not trolling here, and for the most part I agree, but that lends credence to the notion. Besides, it's not even accurate, the guy would twist you into a pretzel. He's a freak.

I know, lol. He is huge. I just kept seeing WMP and figured wimp would work. How about whiffin wily?

[schillingouttheks]

Oh God. Enough of Whiffin Wily. There was some idiot who annoyed the shit out of us last year and ultimately got banned, but that was his trademark.

[riverside sluggers]

Drew and Tek? Drew cannot hit lefties and Tek wont have nice stats against anyone.

As everyone knows on this board, I just dont make up batting stats vs pitchers
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5331/batvspit;_ylt=Ajwuhfwyk2IdDQuTEEtieIyFCLcF?year=ca reer&type=Pitching

Ortiz-- 9 for 22 (.409 avg) 3 Doubles, HR, 3 RBIs, 2 Walks, 6 Ks, SB
Ramirez-- 25 for 59 (.424 avg) 7 Doubles, 3 HRs, 18 RBIs, 5 Walks, 4 Ks, SB
Drew-- 3 for 8 (.375 avg) Double, 2 HRs, 2 RBIs, Walk, 4 Ks
Varitek-- 13 for 36 (.361 avg) Double, Triple, 4 RBIs, 3 Walks, 12 Ks

Ok and Drew can't hit lefties? He's not actually a true Trot Nixon comparison. He has a career .264 avg facing southpaws

[a700hitter]

As everyone knows on this board, I just dont make up batting stats vs pitchers
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5331/batvspit;_ylt=Ajwuhfwyk2IdDQuTEEtieIyFCLcF?year=ca reer&type=Pitching

Ortiz-- 9 for 22 (.409 avg) 3 Doubles, HR, 3 RBIs, 2 Walks, 6 Ks, SB
Ramirez-- 25 for 59 (.424 avg) 7 Doubles, 3 HRs, 18 RBIs, 5 Walks, 4 Ks, SB
Drew-- 3 for 8 (.375 avg) Double, 2 HRs, 2 RBIs, Walk, 4 Ks
Varitek-- 13 for 36 (.361 avg) Double, Triple, 4 RBIs, 3 Walks, 12 Ks

Ok and Drew can't hit lefties? He's not actually a true Trot Nixon comparison. He has a career .264 avg facing southpaws
Tek is a much better RH hitter than lefthanded. Yankee fans that come here just don't know these finer points, but argue as if they are authorities.

[ARod2212]

Tek is a much better RH hitter than lefthanded. Yankee fans that come here just don't know these finer points, but argue as if they are authorities. Well his .229/.299/.688 splits from last season against lefties are not all that intimidating. Varitek has regressed to the point where it doesn't matter who he's facing.

[jacksonianmarch]

Drew's OPS was 230 point lower facing lefties last yr than it was facing righties. The yr before that, his OPS vs lefties was 324 points lower than vs righties. I'll take the recent trends.

[a700hitter]

Well his .229/.299/.688 splits from last season against lefties are not all that intimidating. Varitek has regressed to the point where it doesn't matter who he's facing.He had a bad knee.

[jacksonianmarch]

He had a bad knee.

he had a bad knee in august when he missed 4 weeks. His knee was fine during the season.

[a700hitter]

he had a bad knee in august when he missed 4 weeks. His knee was fine during the season.No the knee had been hurting him from early on in the season, but he thought that he could play through it.

[Gom]

Wimpy? I expect more from ya, Jacko. That's Gom level stuff right there. You respond vehemently about not trolling here, and for the most part I agree, but that lends credence to the notion. Besides, it's not even accurate, the guy would twist you into a pretzel. He's a freak.

I resent that remark. I would definitely come up with a better nickname than wimpy. I do like Whiffin' Wily though.

My favorite taunt last year at the stadium was "Hey Manny, do you like the taste of Coco?"

Infantile...puerile...but I love it!

[Gom]

On another note...considering that I gave you guys credit for winning the Matsuzaka post, and kudos for signing Drew and Lugo, can't you admit the Yankees made a nice move in bringing back Pettitte?

[Coco's Disciples]

Yeah, it was a good move. Since its only 1 year the salary isn't huge and he can definitely be a good pitcher, he's shown he can. Props.

[TheKilo]

On another note...considering that I gave you guys credit for winning the Matsuzaka post, and kudos for signing Drew and Lugo, can't you admit the Yankees made a nice move in bringing back Pettitte?

I've only said it was a good move 500 times. It makes your rotation better. Therefore, a good move.

Do I think it's possible he won't be worth the $16 mil? Yes. Doesn't mean it's not a good signing. The $$ doesn't factor in to the Yankees' decision making anyway.

[BoSox34]

It's almost as if Pettite is doing the Yankees a favor by the way he talks about returning. Don't expect this guy to be the Pettite from a decade ago. His ERA will probably be somewhere in the mid 4's and he'll keep the Yankees in some ballgames. Better option than some of the bums they threw out there last season, but don't expect him to be carrying their rotation.

[jacksonianmarch]

It's almost as if Pettite is doing the Yankees a favor by the way he talks about returning. Don't expect this guy to be the Pettite from a decade ago. His ERA will probably be somewhere in the mid 4's and he'll keep the Yankees in some ballgames. Better option than some of the bums they threw out there last season, but don't expect him to be carrying their rotation.

of course, we should all expect him to suck now that he is in NY. Okay brother.

The Yankees dont need him to carry a rotation. They need him to eat innings and win ballgames which is something he is very good at. Trust me, we have seen this guy before. He went to Houston and essentially did the exact same thing, except for the trainwreck at the beginning of 2006.

A rotation starting with Wang, Mussina, and Pettitte will be very nice. Johnson works well as a 4 because he will eat innings and has an uncanny knack for winning ballgames (17 last yr with a 5era). If Igawa can duplicate his endurance over here than the yankees may actually have a 1000IP rotation. THAT is what he brings. Stability.

[BoSox34]

of course, we should all expect him to suck now that he is in NY. Okay brother.

The Yankees dont need him to carry a rotation. They need him to eat innings and win ballgames which is something he is very good at. Trust me, we have seen this guy before. He went to Houston and essentially did the exact same thing, except for the trainwreck at the beginning of 2006.

A rotation starting with Wang, Mussina, and Pettitte will be very nice. Johnson works well as a 4 because he will eat innings and has an uncanny knack for winning ballgames (17 last yr with a 5era). If Igawa can duplicate his endurance over here than the yankees may actually have a 1000IP rotation. THAT is what he brings. Stability.

I'd like to see you point out the part of my post where I said he would suck. Like I said, he'll be a mediocre pitcher at best, he won't regain his from from a decade ago, and he won't carry the rotation. Thanks for quoting me, disagreeing with me, and basically writing the exact same thing.

[jacksonianmarch]

mediocre at best is what I have issue with. Jaret Wright was mediocre at best. Pettitte will be spectacular at best and mediocre at worst.

[riverside sluggers]

Drew's OPS was 230 point lower facing lefties last yr than it was facing righties. The yr before that, his OPS vs lefties was 324 points lower than vs righties. I'll take the recent trends.

Well obvious'y his OPS will be higher facing righties than lefties.

In limited time against Petitte, which Im sure was recent, he's had 2 HRs and a Double in 8 ABs facing him. He has a career .264 avg facing southpaws. Im sorry but I just laugh when I saw "Drew can not hit lefties", he's not Trot Nixon

[jacksonianmarch]

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061221&content_id=1766055&vkey=hotstove2006&fext=.jsp

the deal has been finalized, the physical passed, and Pettitte is officially a yankee now.

[Plumpamania]

Enjoy his 4.50+ ERA back in the AL and his 'tender' shoulder. I find it hilarious that they didn't resign him initially b/c of their worries about his elbow. But after he sat out the first year practically of his 3 year deal due to elbow problems and the problems in the first half last year, that they welcome him back.

Funny.

[a700hitter]

Enjoy his 4.50+ ERA back in the AL and his 'tender' shoulder. I find it hilarious that they didn't resign him initially b/c of their worries about his elbow. But after he sat out the first year practically of his 3 year deal due to elbow problems and the problems in the first half last year, that they welcome him back.

Funny.I guess his elbow has miraculously cured.

[Plumpamania]

I guess his elbow has miraculously cured.

Maybe that doctor can recommend an economist to handle my finances. They could use a miracle too!

[jacksonianmarch]

Enjoy his 4.50+ ERA back in the AL and his 'tender' shoulder. I find it hilarious that they didn't resign him initially b/c of their worries about his elbow. But after he sat out the first year practically of his 3 year deal due to elbow problems and the problems in the first half last year, that they welcome him back.

Funny.

piss on the parade son. You know what Pettitte brings, and he will be bringing it for the full yr. As usual, I expect him to have a low 4's era with 15-20 wins in that lineup and that bullpen.

[jacksonianmarch]

I guess his elbow has miraculously cured.

the elbow has nothing structurally wrong with it. It was miraculously cured. It's called surgery and it was done 3 yrs ago.

[a700hitter]

the elbow has nothing structurally wrong with it. It was miraculously cured. It's called surgery and it was done 3 yrs ago.Did he have ligament replacement done?

[BSN07]

I don't believe he had Tommy John, but he had some sort of repair done his first year in Houston. At the time it made the NYY look like geniuses for not signing him. Kinda like Pedro with us, we said his arm fall apart after 2-3 season thats why we wouldn't give the 4th year, no our FO looks smarter for not giving it to him. People try and say Minya did good with him and got what he wanted out of Pedro which is BS. 24-16 349.2 innings isn't worth what they payed for him.

[Mr Crunchy]

You guys may laugh, but if Pavano comes back and pitches decently, say with a 4.50 ERA, the Yankees have as deep a rotation as there is. Not bad...

The gap widens....

the only gap in this discussion is the one between pavanos legs that is indeed widening daily

[a700hitter]

I don't believe he had Tommy John, but he had some sort of repair done his first year in Houston. At the time it made the NYY look like geniuses for not signing him. Kinda like Pedro with us, we said his arm fall apart after 2-3 season thats why we wouldn't give the 4th year, no our FO looks smarter for not giving it to him. People try and say Minya did good with him and got what he wanted out of Pedro which is BS. 24-16 349.2 innings isn't worth what they payed for him.It was such genius that they cost the 2005 team a chance at a repeat World Championship.

[jacksonianmarch]

Did he have ligament replacement done?

tendon replacement. The ligament has not been the issue.

[jacksonianmarch]

You guys may laugh, but if Pavano comes back and pitches decently, say with a 4.50 ERA, the Yankees have as deep a rotation as there is. Not bad...

The gap widens....

the only gap in this discussion is the one between pavanos legs that is indeed widening daily

The Yankees sacrificed the sexy names for the ones who will give innings. I didnt know this stat until I saw it yesterday on yankees.com. The Yankees starters threw 934IP last season. Adding Igawa and Pettitte gave the yankees 2 guys with a track record of endurance. Add that to Wang, Mussina, and Johnson and you have 5 guys who can surpass 200IP. If Pavano can return to what he should be, then he could surpass 200IP if given a regular spot over Igawa. Durability was the issue the previous yrs. That shouldnt be the case this season.

And Mr. C, you are correct. Pavano's gaping gap needs a large metal bridge to cross.

[Plumpamania]

I don't believe he had Tommy John, but he had some sort of repair done his first year in Houston. At the time it made the NYY look like geniuses for not signing him. Kinda like Pedro with us, we said his arm fall apart after 2-3 season thats why we wouldn't give the 4th year, no our FO looks smarter for not giving it to him. People try and say Minya did good with him and got what he wanted out of Pedro which is BS. 24-16 349.2 innings isn't worth what they payed for him.

The Mets were a horrible franchise to that point with little going for it outside of the new prospects of David Wright and Jose Reyes. To them Pedro brought in a swager and a sense to other solid stars that it was okay to come to New York, like Carlos Beltran.

And why would Pettite have a low 4's ERA Jackson in the AL East when he could barely accomplish that in the pathetic NL Central?