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This takes some leverage away from the Twins. Get Hughes out of that offer.

Peter,

A few thoughts:

1. Whew! We needed that.

2. I am really not surprised. $16 million is a lot of smack. Tough to walk away from that when you've still got it. And Andy clearly does still have it. Andy is a professional athlete. These guys are the elite. The competitive juices flow through their veins. For them, the issue is almost invariably not that they've walked away from the game too early, but rather that they've walked away too late.

3. If Pettite has a good year in 2008, I expect we'll be going through another round of the To Retire Or Not Retire melodrama. We might even find his agents taking the stance that the Yankees are obligated to overpay, since Pettite "gave" the Yankees a "discount" in 2008, thereby sacrificing the chance to place himself on the open market and making even more money. And no, I'm not knocking Andy, here. I was disappointed when he left, thrilled when he came back in 2007, and thrilled again. Let's just say that I'm making general observations about human nature here, and leave it at that.

4. Finally, remember this: How many guys think how great it would be to spend more time with the family, only to find that once they actually do so, schlepping to the office doesn't necessarily seem like such a bad gig, after all? A few months at home in the off-season is all it takes to cure a guy of that!

Tripp- Very true and I think the Yankees will definitely stick to their deadline now.

Greg- That's funny stuff! I imagine Andy will go year-by-year now and I hope he doesn't expect $16 million each year, but I suspect you are correct.

Wonder what Cash and Hankenstein are thinking now about letting go of Hughes?

This is great, but they still need Sanana IMO. Hopefully this will make the Twinkies realize the Yanks aren't desperate.

blast away after you read this but I find the comfort in Pettitte signing somewhat hippocritical.

2007 stats:

Pettitte
15-9
34 starts
215.3 innings
6.33 innings/start
4.05 ERA
141 k's
69 bb's
1.426 WHIP

Schilling
9-8
24 starts
151.0 innings
6.29 innings/start
3.87 ERA
101 k's
23 bb's
1.245 WHIP

I don't see much difference between the two pitchers other than innings pitched.

Pettitte will be the stabalizer and key to the staff and some of the Yankee fans here laughed at the Sox signing Schilling for $8M (which is half of Pettitte's salary).

Not much difference at all.

BL

Is your point that the Red Sox got a better value? Probably, but you forgot two important numbers 41 and 35. Those are the Opening Day ages for both players next year and have to be part of any value discussion.

And, Schiling is not only making $8 million. If he eats some salads and pitches the same innings he did last year, the deal is worth $11 million. If he gets a Cy Young vote for that, add another million.

blmeanie, The only important stat concerning resigning Pettitte was the 215 innings pitched. The Yanks really had no way of making those innings up unless they were to pitch the young guys way to much. Also, Pettitte's post season success is vital. He pitched an awesome game against the Indians this past year.

Blmeanie,

In addition to seconding Peter's comments, I think you've perhaps overlooked the single most important consideration here: the Yankees quite frankly need Pettite much more than the Red Sox need Schilling in 2008. Further, with just a modicum of support from the bullpen, Pettite could have easily won three more games in 2007. I think we can all agree that 18 wins is nothing to sneeze at. And he even pitched (and pitched well) in relief a couple of times, if memory serves correctly. Now, I don't know how many wins, if any, Boston's bullpen blew for Schilling, but somehow I don't think it was three. Also, Pettite pitched substantially more innings than Schilling did, and this, too is something that we feel the Yankees are going to need next: quality innings, to lessen the load and reduce the chance of arm injuries to the youngsters.

Actually, you helped to make the case yourself: Pettite will be a stabilizer and a key to the staff. I frankly don't believe that the same cannot be said for Schilling, at least not to the same degree.

If you still feel that we're being hypocrites here, well, so be it.

I give you the 215 innings.

The innings per start is interesting, don't you think?

The ages don't matter to me as much.

Peter - do you really think Schilling is going to weigh in at or below whatever they put in the deal? Have you seen the guy?

Honestly guys, i was stirring the pot a little, especially with no significant news going on the the Yankee/Redsox universe lately :)

BL-

Good stir and good point about Schilling, but the ages are significant.

BL, you raise a fair point but its a stretch.

Of Schillings 24 starts, 58% were quality starts. Of Pettitte's 32 starts, 65% were quality.

Factor in that you understate the salary and you downplay the age difference, I'm very happy to have Pettitte at the number he's getting.

I think Pettittes overall numbers are misleading. When the entire staff was injured through May, Pettitte kept the Yanks together even with the odd relief appearance. Through May he had a 2.51 ERA. You throw out the two crappy starts in early July, and its 3.55 ERA for the year. In 7 starts through May where Pettitte got a ND or L, he pitched at least 7 complete in 5 of them and had an ERA of 2.44. He should have won at LEAST 5 more games this past year.

Quite happy to have Pettitte back but I'm not sure that this means that the Yanks are LESS likely to deal Hughes than MORE likely to deal him.

I've said what I think. Melky, Kennedy, Betemit, Horne. If the Sox can beat it, they can have Santana.

Betemit is trash, was trash in Atlanta, LA before NY. Adding him probably hurts your chances.

Nice stats on Pettitte, seriously, nice get.

BL,
When Nick Punto is your starting 3rd baseman at .565 OPS [150 games] and Alexi Casilla is your starting 2B at .515 OPS [56 games], I think Wilson Betemit doesn't hurt with his .771 lifetime OPS [.787 in 2007].

To be fair I've overstated the case for Pettite, he probably could have gotten 5 more wins not should have.