Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Yanks inclined to lower $10M Pettitte offer
Andy Pettitte’s chances to return to the Yankees have dropped precipitously.
In the aftermath of the Mark Teixeira signing, the organization is now strongly inclined to lower the $10 million offer that the lefty already has been resistant to all offseason, the New York Post has learned.
Pettitte recently rejected the Yankees’ latest $10 million overture, and now - barring a wave of sentimentality by the Yanks or significant change of strategy by either side - that dollar figure very likely will not be offered again.
Perhaps Andy subscribes to the George Costanza style of negotiating.
Also of note:
The Yankees’ initial plan this offseason was to add Nick Swisher to play first, and then fixate on the rotation by signing two high-end starters (Sabathia and Burnett) and re-signing Pettitte to serve as a fifth starter. However, after meeting Teixeira in Washington on Dec. 4, Cashman became more intrigued with also obtaining the first baseman.
Ownership was initially resistant to making another huge monetary outlay. But once Cashman had convinced the Steinbrenner family of the short- and long-term benefits of signing Teixeira, the corresponding move was the need to cut elsewhere. That starts with a lower offer for Pettitte. The Yanks also might trade either Swisher or Xavier Nady, and it is possible if they could remove those salaries that they could consider restoring their bid to Pettitte at $10 million.
Apparently Olney and Rosenthal are saying the same thing.
Page 1 of 1 pages: