Bye Andy.

So is he just going to retire?

Well... bye.

Pettitte will join Manny Ramirez on the newly dominant DOOR Neptunus of Honkbal Hoofdklasse, after they are bought by a Russian oligarch looking for a vanity project.

Alternately, he will go to the Mets after the Phillies sign Derek Lowe.

I still think he'll end up signing for something like $12-13M. If not, well... plenty of teams could use him in their rotation. I wonder if he'd play for a team outside of NY or Texas though.

Steady trusty emesis basin...steady.

This is what happens when you use Babelfish to translate Repoz into English.

He probably doesn't need the money, so this comes down to how bad he wants to pitch. He can probably get innings from the Yankees, but he'll have to pay for them dearly. If they could sign him for $8-9m, if he was willing to sign for that, they'd almost have to take him back. But that's a 50% salary cut for being league average, which has to be a pretty bitter pill to swallow for a guy with his history.

I wonder if he'd play for a team outside of NY or Texas though.

Rangers could probably use him.

I love these two paragraphs from Kepner back to back:

Pettitte did not tell the Yankees that he might be included in the report, which said he had used human growth hormone. Pettitte admitted his use and the Yankees supported him publicly. But his performance suffered in the second half of the season, when he usually gets stronger, and he admitted his distracting off-season might have been a factor.

In a way, though, such honesty has always been part of Pettitte’s appeal; his sincerity and earnestness have made him a fan favorite. In an interview in September, Pettitte forecast a quick negotiation, even though he knew it might not be wise to do so.

This piece by Kepner is laughable in that he skips over some rather relevant facts in his rush to declare Pettitte honest and sincere. Here, I'll fix it for Kepner, my additions being underlined:

Pettitte did not tell the Yankees that he might be included in the report, which said he had used human growth hormone. Following the release of the report, Honest Andy released his own statement, which was full of lie after lie. In his statement Honest Andy claimed that he had used human growth hormone on just two occasions, both in 2002, which, coincidentally, was just as the report had claimed. "This is it — two days out of my life; two days out of my entire career, when I was injured and on the disabled list," Honest Andy's statement read. "I have tried to do things the right way my entire life, and, again, ask that you put those two days in the proper context. People that know me will know that what I say is true." However, on February 13, 2008, in a Congressional affidavit, Honest Andy admitted to further use, specifically, that he had also used human growth hormone in 2004. Prior to swearing to that affidavit, The New York Daily News had forewarned Honest Andy that it was going to go public with information from its own investigation that revealed that Honest Andy had also used human growth hormone in 2004, contrary to his initial statement. This was the course by which Honest Andy Pettitte admitted his use -- or, at least, as much use as had already been independently discovered -- and the Yankees supported him publicly.

Seriously now. Kepner's portrayal of Pettitte is just surreal. It's not just that Pettitte told a lie, but that he lied over and over again in a written statement, during which he had the gall to say "People that know me will know that what I say is true." And from that, Kepner concludes that Pettitte is "honest," "sincere," and "earnest."

He probably doesn't need the money, so this comes down to how bad he wants to pitch. He can probably get innings from the Yankees, but he'll have to pay for them dearly. If they could sign him for $8-9m, if he was willing to sign for that, they'd almost have to take him back. But that's a 50% salary cut for being league average, which has to be a pretty bitter pill to swallow for a guy with his history.

Yeah; oftentimes the relevant factor for the player is not how much money he "needs," but how much he thinks he's worth. And Pettitte is clearly worth more than 1 year, $10 million. He's worth a multi-year deal for at least that much annually. On a 1 year k he's worth $15 million or so.

Following the release of the report, Honest Andy released his own statement, which was full of lie after lie. In his statement Honest Andy claimed that he had used human growth hormone on just two occasions, both in 2002, which, coincidentally, was just as the report had claimed. "This is it — two days out of my life; two days out of my entire career, when I was injured and on the disabled list," Honest Andy's statement read. "I have tried to do things the right way my entire life, and, again, ask that you put those two days in the proper context. People that know me will know that what I say is true." However, on February 13, 2008, in a Congressional affidavit, Honest Andy admitted to further use, specifically, that he had also used human growth hormone in 2004. Prior to swearing to that affidavit, The New York Daily News had forewarned Honest Andy that it was going to go public with information from its own investigation that revealed that Honest Andy had also used human growth hormone in 2004, contrary to his initial statement. This was the course by which Honest Andy Pettitte admitted his use -- or, at least, as much use as had already been independently discovered

OUCH!

And to think some Primates have actually asked me why I switched my motherf*ck*ng handle!

Rangers could probably use him.

How many times in their history did the Rangers have five starters who outperformed Andy's projected 2009?

And when Andy was forced to confess he couldn't do that honestly either, basically absolving himself by saying that he and "god" know he isn't a cheater. That's like a shop-lifter saying he's not a thief.

How many times in their history did the Rangers have five starters who outperformed Andy's projected 2009?

I can barely remember when the Rangers have had five legitimate starters! '96? The Rangers were the closest MLB franchise to me for a decade or so when I was in Austin and I still have nightmares about watching the like of Dave Burba pitch in Arlington. It was fun to watch Helling and Sele have their struggles but win night after night.

He probably doesn't need the money, so this comes down to how bad he wants to pitch. He can probably get innings from the Yankees, but he'll have to pay for them dearly. If they could sign him for $8-9m, if he was willing to sign for that, they'd almost have to take him back.

The Yankees history with contract ultimata is that the eventual contract is higher, not lower, than the one that "expires" or "explodes". My guess is soon enough they'll re-enter negotiations and sign Pettitte for, say, 1/12 with incentives.

The New York media will make a really big deal out of how Pettitte is the one who re-started negotiations and came crawling back to the upstanding front office, which was forced - forced! - to reconsider their otherwise unbending commitment to honor blustery ultimata, but the result will be just like any other perfectly normal negotiation.

And, really, if Pettitte wants to be in NY, why haven't the Mets gone after him yet?

From what I gather, Pettitte just wants another $16M, 1 year deal because he feels slighted by taking any sort of paycut. Would he consider a contract that allowed him to make up to $16M with incentives?

Yeah; oftentimes the relevant factor for the player is not how much money he "needs," but how much he thinks he's worth. And Pettitte is clearly worth more than 1 year, $10 million. He's worth a multi-year deal for at least that much annually. On a 1 year k he's worth $15 million or so.

If he seriously only wants to play for the Yankees or retire, then his market value is whatever the Yankees are willing to pay him.

I think if he walks away and doesn't sign elsewhere, the Yankees will sign him to a pro-rated $15 million contract if one of their starters goes down for the year or they decide to move Joba to the bullpen mid-season to control his innings.

And, really, if Pettitte wants to be in NY, why haven't the Mets gone after him yet?

Doesn't do enough coke. They want nothing to do with Gary Carter these days either. ;-)

Is there any actual news in this piece? Or is Kepner just rehashing things? It seems to me that we've known for a couple of months that the Yankees offered $10M and Pettitte turned it down.

Doesn't do enough coke. They want nothing to do with Gary Carter these days either. ;-)

I just assume Andy Pettite leads some kind of Bad Lieutenant-like double life.

There is no homegrown Yankee I've disliked more than Andy Pettitte. I'll be happy if he never throws another pitch in pinstripes.

Why is there no mention of loyal Andy's stay in Houston? I agree w/Ray about the strange omissions in Kepner's piece.

I don't think Cashman's going to back down on this, but MCOA may be right. I'd still like to see them sign Sheets. I wonder how hurt he is.

If he seriously only wants to play for the Yankees or retire, then his market value is whatever the Yankees are willing to pay him.

I guess one could look at it that way, but I don't see why we should assume he wouldn't go elsewhere. As JC points out, he did already, once. And this time around the Yankees are lowballing him. And Torre is in LA.

I, too, wonder why the Mets haven't approached him. Though, of course, perhaps they have.

And when Andy was forced to confess he couldn't do that honestly either, basically absolving himself by saying that he and "god" know he isn't a cheater. That's like a shop-lifter saying he's not a thief.

I don't care that Pettitte used HGH; hell, I don't even care that he lied about it. But calling him "honest" is simply not accurate -- at least as far as his public life goes. I really have to wonder whether Tyler Kepner is retarded. I can't conceive of a rational thought process that results in concluding that Pettitte is a shining beacon of honesty and sincerity, on the heels of the events of the last year.

I guess one could look at it that way, but I don't see why we should assume he wouldn't go elsewhere. As JC points out, he did already, once. And this time around the Yankees are lowballing him. And Torre is in LA.

The Dodgers are looking at a 5th starter on the cheapish. They're not going to pay for Andy Pettitte over $10 million to play for the Dodgers. Heck, $10 million is the limit.

I can't conceive of a rational thought process that results in concluding that Pettitte is a shining beacon of honesty and sincerity, on the heels of the events of the last year.

He's using a different "replacement" level for honesty.

I can't conceive of a rational thought process that results in concluding that Pettitte is a shining beacon of honesty and sincerity, on the heels of the events of the last year.

You see, that's your mistake right there. Assuming that there must be thought involved, much less rational thought. Kepner's just saying what everyone knows to be true -- Andy Pettitte is an honest guy. Period. It's true because everyone knows it. Duh.

the like of Dave Burba pitch in Arlington

A Texas writer once referred to Burba's pitching style as "chuck and duck."

Why is there no mention of loyal Andy's stay in Houston? I agree w/Ray about the strange omissions in Kepner's piece.

Roger Clemens's true Yankeeness trumps the Yankees themselves. Clearly you have to follow him wherever he may lead.

SIGN ANDY PETTITTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!