SportsCenter: Pettitte more likely to sign with 'Stros

[Transmogrifier]

Stark and Gammons said on SportsCenter that Pettitte seems to be leaning more and more to the Astros. They also said that Atlanta really think it has a shot, however they said the Astros are the most likely team at this point. (Gammons said that although the Astros haven't made a formal offer they made it clear that he can have 3 years, $10 million.)

[DieHardCubbie]

I have had a feeling that he would end up with the 'stros....definately will keep them near the top of the NL Central....Might slightly hurt Pettite's value though....pitching half his games in Minute Maid Park.....

[Madison]

Seems to me that Pettitte wants a change of scenery. Then again, if George throws enough money at him, he'll probably stay. Time will tell.

[Gang Green]

George will go WAY above and beyond the call of reason (more insane than he normally does)to keep Andy here in NY. Pettitte is the lynchpin to their success. This year alone, when they were down 1-0 to the Twins, Red Sox and Marlins, he evened things up. He has nerves of steel. Andy is a king in New York. There won't be 55,000 people screaming for a curtain call in late October deep in the heart of Texas. If he leaves, he sure must worship his wife.

[HOOTIE]

I have had a feeling that he would end up with the 'stros....definately will keep them near the top of the NL Central....Might slightly hurt Pettite's value though....pitching half his games in Minute Maid Park.....

Pettitte's run support numbers the last 4 years is so off the charts, he should spend a week in Vegas. Translation, Andy has been lucky, and shouldn't be close to his prior won loss record if he leaves NY.

[Jivedude]

Pettitte's run support numbers the last 4 years is so off the charts, he should spend a week in Vegas. Translation, Andy has been lucky, and shouldn't be close to his prior won loss record if he leaves NY.

And out of curiosity, just what are those numbers?

[shortsavage]

Wasn't Steinbrenner pulling to trade Pettitte last fall ? Wouldn't Houston's offer be a good opportunity for Pettitte to get back at Steinbrenner for loosing confidence in him and to take some wind out of the Yankees' sail ? My prediction is that Pettitte will surprise the baseball world and sign with his home town team .

[wrveres]

First off, He has got 12 years in that organization. I don't really think he is going to Hou. George will step in and see to that.

If on the off chance he does find himself in the NL Central, his value will most definetly plummett ... Looking at this career numbers don't suggest anything 'great'. His W/L looks nice, but considering the run the Yankees have been on, a great pitcher would have had alot more wins. His career post season ERA is 4.68
Oh yeah.... and all its gonna take is opening day, Craig Biggio stumbling all over center field, then he will realize "I'm Not in New York,"

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If on the off chance he does find himself in the NL Central, his value will most definetly plummett ... Looking at this career numbers don't suggest anything 'great'. His W/L looks nice, but considering the run the Yankees have been on, a great pitcher would have had alot more wins.

I'm with wrveres on this one. The toughest thing for me to grasp in paying Pettitte the kind of money he's likely to get is the career batting average against him (.273). The last time he gave up less hits than innings pitched was in 1997 (the one and only time in his pro career).

[Transmogrifier]

From Stark's column (and basically what was said on-air):

The Yankees continue to sound confident that they'll re-sign Pettitte. But officials of two clubs who have spoken recently with either the Astros or Pettitte's agents, Randy and Alan Hendricks, say they think Pettitte's chances of landing in Houston are stronger than ever.

The Astros have continuously denied that they've made an offer to Pettitte. But one NL executive says his understanding is that Houston has let Pettitte know informally that if he's serious, they're prepared to pay him $30 million over three years.

And an executive of one AL club went so far as to predict that Pettitte will sign with the Astros.

"This guy has already made a ton of money," the executive says. "And he's a family guy. He's not a New York guy. He's done the New York thing and done it very well. But my feeling is, if three for $30 million is there from Houston, he'll take it."

If Pettitte does listen to his inner Texan, don't look for the Yankees to turn to Kevin Brown. According to clubs that have spoken to the Yankees and Dodgers, that option was alive only as part of a three-team or four-team deal that would have ended with Richie Sexson in L.A. Once Sexson became a Diamondback, that killed the Brown-to-New York plot lines.