1. He let Andy go. Even though Andy has been less than his usual self, he's still a #2 pitcher in our rotation. Not resigning Andy really isn't the big deal here...the big deal is... 2. He signed Woody Williams to a 2 year deal. Why give a 50 year old pitcher a 2 year deal at $12m and shaft Andy's 1 year deal plus a player option? Andy makes $16m each year, and would have given us a discount. Now we have $12m invested in a guy who could break his hip like right now and nothing to show for that money. Not to mention he takes up a roster spot that may keep Troy Patton down for another year because Purpura will be unwilling to get rid of Woody. 3. Now it's an even bigger deal that you signed Carlos Lee to a huge contract, which only pays him $11m and $12m in 2007 and 2008 respectively. That's peanuts. We could have fit Andy's contract in there. Our payroll is $88m, minus Jennings and Woody puts us at $77m. Pettitte asked for $14m, we offered $12m. $91m...a lousy $3m might be the difference between us sucking terribly, and us sucking not so terribly. 4. The infamous 3fer Jennings trade. If it's any consolation that Bucky and Hirsh are sucking, I guess Tim should feel better about that. However, we lack team athleticism and we don't have an everyday RF. Hmm...Willy in CF and Pence in RF? Did anyone think of that? Now we're gonna be looking for another bat, experimenting with Burke leading off, and pretty much yelling at Tim that he shoulda sucked Bavasi off so they'd let us sign Ichiro. However, Tim has made some moves to somewhat redeem himself...except not all that much. 1. He didn't trade Brad Lidge. I wanted to get rid of Lidge so bad, and Purpura made the right call in keeping him. If we couldn't get fair value in return, the best option would be to keep him and try like hell to fix his ass. 2. He signed Mark Loretta. Now, this could be added to the bad list if he doesn't trade him like...tomorrow. 3. He brought up Pence. I think if we didn't suck, we wouldn't see Pence til 2020. He'd be 37 then...still a premium prospect in his eyes. 4. He FINALLY sent Lane to the minors. Yeesh. Anyone tired of that guy yet? Man...if Pence goes on DL and they call up Lane...I think I'll explode.
Andy wanted to leave, he wasn't going to pitch another season with the Astros. He knew they were garbage, so he left... more money, a better team. Why stay...
So what happens if we just kept things the way they were? Oswalt Pettitte (4.12 ERA, translates to even better in NL) Sampson Wandy Hirsh/Bucky/Rocket (all have better numbers than Woody) Willy (.314, 24 steals, .363 OBP) Pence Berkman Lee Lamb Biggio/Loretta Bruntlett Ausmus You have that lineup/rotation, and the only thing that really has held us back is the bullpen, which hasn't been as sucky lately.
he left because we lowballed him and said take it or leave it. he's said time and time again, along with his agent, that they would have accepted $14m and would not have excercised the option if he were injured.
essentially, yes it is. purpura said andy and his agents added an option year at the last second and they werent willing to do it. if you read the 2nd part, youd get it. unless Andy REALLY left for more money and to play for the yankees (which we really dont know), then i cant blame him for andy leaving. but if it really was another year for $14m, how can you not be pissed? not to mention Drayton doesnt count Roger's salary as a normal salary...why cant you do that with Andy?
If Willy T was still here, I doubt Pence would have come up. Without Pupura's moves, we wouldn't be in 'sell' mode and would be mortgaging the future even more.
No kidding, Daryl Morey is looking like a freaking god and Rick Smith has been impressive with the Texans so far. Too bad Gerry is gone and we are stuck with a tri that just aint gonna win Purpura/Drayton/Smith Congrats Purpura on riding Gerry's team to the 2005 World Series
One word can explain Purpura's problem: Drayton. If you had an owner with a budget and likes to get involved then what are you going to do...
No. It isn't. Not kinda, not essentially, not at all. There have been people on this board who know the Pettitte family who have said that all along he wanted back in the Bronx. Just like with Beltran, regardless how many concessions we made, there was always going to be one last thing that holds it up.
Andy was not going to come back here. Anything you're heard to the contrary is spin by he and his agent to not make him hated like Carlos Beltran and Scottie Pippen. Pettitte wanted to play in New York, and his mind was made up the second the season ended. It's that simple, and I've heard/verified that a number of places. Let him and it go. It's not a matter of fitting him in budget. He didn't want to be here. Also, comparing signing Woody ($6 million a season) to Pettitte ($15 million) is absurd. They aren't and weren't related, based on economics.
The Astros have publicly said Pettitte offered them a chance to match the Yankees offer and would have signed here, but that they were not interested in the 2nd year option. Are the Astros lying?
Andy was not going to resign here. What he pulled through the media while negotiations were still going on was disgusting. Good riddance. And if Purpura had signed loopy elbow Pettitte to that long deal he wanted, he'd be getting no slack here either. I'm not a big Purpura supporter at ALL, but not resigning Pettitte was not a bad move at all. Signing Woody Williams is another story.
For a completely unreasonable price, yes. That's all part of it. The Yankees offer was made in such a fashion that no other team within reason could afford to match it. Yes, he might've played here, but he would've been unhappy doing so while financially crippling the team with an absurd $15 million deal for a pitcher who struggled to a 4.20 ERA last season. Also, it's not even a lock he would've played here had the deal been matched. All those statements by Pettitte and his management team were made knowing there was absolutely zero chance the Astros would agree to such a ridiculous contract. It was pretty easy for Andy to say them considering he knew the final result. But he didn't want to play here at all, and if push came to shove, it would've been interesting to see if he held that "word" that you're referring to.
Andy also publicly said he was contemplating retirement due to his ailing elbow, and likely wouldn't have a decision for the Astros till late December (while he ended up signing with the Yankees in the very first week). He then claims (thru his dad) that he was "hurt" that the Astros were looking for other options to replace him after he made that statement. There were a lot of mis-truths being floated around.
That's the exact same thing i heard as well, including the part about the option. He was willing to accept less money to stay here. Also to elaborate a little more, the team doctors that evaluated Andy were worried about Petitte's arm for the second year of the deal. Andy clearly said more than once he would not take the option for the second year of the deal if he we're injured. The Astros didn't believe him, meanwhile around the exact same time Drayton had ordered Purpura to have the payroll slashed under 100 million (Bud Selig had teased Drayton about being the newest member in the 100 million dollar club last year), and coincedently Andy was not resigned and went back to NY, the only other team he knew. Of course he was going to get more money there. Myself or anyone would want at least an extra 10% to make up for state income tax and probably more to deal with the media spotlight on you every second. Other teams would have been courting Pettite as well if they thought they even had a chance of acquiring him. Mediocre pitchers got overpaid last off season like never before imagined in history. Zito was really the only big guy on the market. We also got no compensational 1st round draft pick out of Andy's departure making executives look even more stupid than trying to have people believe Andy left for the money. Obviously it's worked on some. However, that's probably not gonna help us recruit anymore Yankee pitchers ever again, even if they are from Texas. He's a local family guy who has already won at every level of the big league game and has already set his family and their families up for life. Drayton just didn't want to look like a cheapskate in the public's eyes yet again by realeasing an Ace pitcher for around the 10th time.
And pitchers never think and/or say they're healthier than they actually are. That never happens. By the way, no other teams would offer even close to a multi-year deal worth $15 million a season for a pitcher with arm troubles who struggled to a 4.20 ERA in the weak NL Central. Keep dreaming. This was a deal because the Yankees have unlimited funds and because of his history with them. It was not anywhere near his market value, and the Astros couldn't reasonably match it.
The Andy thing was only a mistake when taking into consideration our other moves. The Astros were in a delicate situation last offseason. They are just good enough to maybe compete, but in reality a team that's very mediocre. They had the option of either go for broke and compete while NL central sucks, or rebuild. They chose to compete. That decision is fine. The problem was their execution. Is Andy worth that second year? Probably not. But if you're mortaging the future, isn't getting Andy at $12 per better than Woody at $6 mil per? That's the problem. If they were saving the money because we have some young pitching stud coming up, that's cool. But for Woody freaking Williams?