buck -- what's the translation in comparing AL pitchers to NL pitchers, again?? drop .25??? is that right??
Espn: Reports Pettite, Astros close to finalizing deal http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1683180 ESPN.com news services Left-hander Andy Pettitte is on the verge of agreeing to a free-agent contract with the Houston Astros, according to reports. An announcement could come Friday or Saturday, ESPN Radio 1000's Rich Levine reported Wednesday. The Houston Chronicle, citing industry sources, reported that Pettitte -- a winner of 149 games in a nine-year career with the Yankees -- has already passed a physical, and Astros owner Drayton McLane and agents Randy and Alan Hendricks are attempting to complete the deal within 24 hours. According to the Chronicle's sources, some details remained to be worked out and the deal still could fall apart if the Yankees make a last-ditch effort to re-sign Pettitte. According to numerous reports two weeks ago, the Astros offered Pettitte a three-year contract worth approximately $10 million per season, but McLane denied the club had made an offer. McLane has said he doesn't want his budget to top $75 million next season. Barring a snag, Pettitte would give the Astros a bona fide No. 1 starting pitcher they haven't had in several years. His departure would be a blow for the AL champion Yankees, who had said re-signing him was their No. 1 offseason priority. The Yankees have not made the veteran an offer this offseason. I know theres a sticky bout this but thought it should be posted
Report: Free agent Pettitte on verge of deal with Astros By RICHARD JUSTICE Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle RESOURCES AUDIO Richard Justice: • Pettitte on verge of deal with Astros Requires the free RealPlayer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory2/2285901 Free agent lefthander Andy Pettitte, one of baseball’s winningest pitchers, is on the verge of an agreement with the Astros, industry sources said today. The sources cautioned that some details remained to be worked out and that the deal still could fall apart if the New York Yankees made a last-ditch effort to re-sign Pettitte. Pettitte has already passed a physical, and Astros owner Drayton McLane and agents Randy and Alan Hendricks are attempting to complete the deal within 24 hours, sources said. Barring a snag, Pettitte would give the Astros the kind of bona fide No. 1 starting pitcher they haven’t had in several years. His departure would be a blow for the Yankees, who had said re-signing him was their No. 1 off season priority. Pettitte, 31, would join Roy Oswalt and Wade Miller to make the front three of the Astros’ starting rotation as strong as any in baseball. During nine seasons with the Yankees, he has won 149 games and is coming off a season in which he went 21-8 with a 4.02 ERA. The Yankees were 23-10 in his 33 starts. He won 17 of his last 20 decisions. He’s the first pitcher in the post-expansion era to win at least 12 games in each of his first nine seasons. He 13-8 in 30 postseason starts. The Astros were considered longshots when Pettitte became a free agent. He’d said his preference was to remain with the Yankees. With 149 victories, he’s ninth on the Yankees’ all-time victory list and appeared on his way to being remembered as one of the franchise’s all-time greats. However, it appears the club never budged much from its original offer of around $30 million over three years. Pettitte’s father, Tom, told the New York Times on Tuesday that the family was frustrated by the Yankees’ seeming disinterest in signing Pettitte. Meanwhile, the Astros began courting him almost from the moment he became a free agent and quickly laid out the parameters of their offer. Ironically, the signing of Pettitte comes a few weeks after the Astros traded closer Billy Wagner. At the time of that deal, they said they could no longer afford his $8 million salary. Now, they’re poised to add a player expected to make even more than that next season.
That is freakin' awesome...A solid 1 - 3 is so great that we are the front runner to win the division...If we had solid pitching and less injuries, we would have ran away with the division... Go Stros'!!!
Let me say it again... This is freakin' awesome...Drayton knows we can't spend $8MM/Year on a closer, but $10MM on a starter is something else...However, once you pay that kind of $$$, Roy & Wade will be looking for some love too... A solid 1 - 3 starting rotation just put us as the team to beat in the Central... Go Stros!!!
and Wagner for Pettitte is a great trade...dealing from a position of strength to address a weakness. charlie pallilo on sportsradio 610 just made a great point...you replace villone and robertson, who combined for 50 starts last year with this team, with andy pettitte. not bad.
diverse reactions, as you might expect....i really enjoy the, "oh, well..he'll get lit up in that ballpark" argument. anyone seen right field in Yankee Stadium??
OK, ESPN and the Chron are both reporting it now. The deal is not complete, but both Drayton and the Hendricks Brothers have said they want to complete it within the next 24 hours. Great news for Astros fans.
From a Yankee fan: if pettitte walks it's because he wanted to.. the yankees offered more money than houston... i say good riddance.. i don't want anyone on the yanks that doesn't want to play for the yanks.. i see you people blaming the team and i find it funny... pettitte strung the yanks along from the beggining.. Wow, a player who didn't use money as the deciding factor...and Yankee fans are blown away by this.
