Andy Pettitte to consider retirement?

[TonyStarks]

..NY Daily News


Andy Pettitte has enjoyed his return to pinstripes and has been healthy all season. But he's still unsure of his plans for next year, something he will evaluate at home in Houston this winter.

Pettitte holds a $16 million player option on his contract. If he wants to pitch, he can. But Pettitte considered retiring last year and still feels the pull of ending his career to be a full-time dad to his four kids.

"I'm not real sure what I'm going to do," said Pettitte, who is 13-8 with a 3.78 ERA. "It's kind of strange, because for sure I didn't expect my arm to respond the way it has this year. That's the whole reason I wanted the option, so I didn't feel obligated if I was hurting this year to come back.

"I want to sit down with my family, my wife and my oldest boy and see what they think. I'm really not even thinking about it now."

Pettitte added that he came back to New York to help the Yanks win another World Series, "but I want to be there for my kids and for my wife. That's just extremely important to me. I feel like I've missed out on a lot in their lives and that'll weigh big on my decision."

---

If Andy retires, I would miss the guy's presence on the team and on the mound. Also, his retirement would push Hughes up in the rotation along with Chamberlain and possibly Kennedy or Igawa.

It could be a very young rotation especially if Moose hangs'em up too.

1)Wang, 2)Moose, 3)Hughes, 4)Chamberlain, Kennedy, Rasner, Igawa, Karstens would probably all be candidates for the rotation.

I'm sure that Hughes, Joba, and Ian will all be on some sort of pitch count.
The Yanks may have to go out and find an innings eater if Andy does retire.
Or, I hope that Igawa could at least do something in the low to mid 4s and give quality innings.
I think the Yanks could survive with Hughes and Chamberlain in the rotation, but having 3 kids could be pushing it and very taxing on the bullpen.

[KCGHOST]

Can you name any player/pitcher who turned down guaranteed money, of say, $8M or more, to retire when he was physically healthy??

[TonyStarks]

Can you name any player/pitcher who turned down guaranteed money, of say, $8M or more, to retire when he was physically healthy??

Barry Sanders? :laugh

[Mattingly]

Can you name any player/pitcher who turned down guaranteed money, of say, $8M or more, to retire when he was physically healthy??
I remember that Mark McGwire, whose last season wasn't so good, walked away from about $30m over his last 2 seasons. I guess that the greater steroids testing may have been an issue, but that would've been depending upon whether you figured he had something to hide or not. Long story.

Anyway, with Andy, it's been a long story. He's very religious, and I believe that his father-in-law is a Minister. He also moved to Houston, since that's where his whole family is. After so many years in the Bronx, he'd never moved them here, and his rented house in Westchester County, NY (a large county immediately north of the Bronx) while here in his first stint as a Yankee, wasn't a substitute for a family he could come home to.

Mariano is also very religious, has his family in Panama, so some people handle similar situations differently. For Andy, I think that his arm works just fine. I just hope to have fewer unpredictable losses against poor teams, but that'll happen to every pitcher from time to time.

[Mariano_Rivera]

It doesn;t surprise me. I bet they`ll be signing a FA, especially if he leaves

[ChrisLDuncan]

If only it was Moose...(not the squirrel)

[Scartissue]

If Pettitte doesn't retire, what do you do? Sit a guy making $11M next year (Mussina), or relegate a promising rookie starter to the pen or drop him back down to the minors to develop further and stop the option clock (Kennedy, Chamberlain or Hughes)? Maybe if Mussina picks things up, they'll find a trade partner that Mussina will waive his no-trade clause for (threaten to relegate him to the pen next year to light a fire under him to waive his trade clause). In this pitching starved market, Yankees should be able to find teams willing to take him, and might end up eating little if any money, depending on how he does here on out.

[Mattingly]

If Pettitte doesn't retire, what do you do? Sit a guy making $11M next year (Mussina), or relegate a promising rookie starter to the pen or drop him back down to the minors to develop further and stop the option clock (Kennedy, Chamberlain or Hughes)? Maybe if Mussina picks things up, they'll find a trade partner that Mussina will waive his no-trade clause for (threaten to relegate him to the pen next year to light a fire under him to waive his trade clause). In this pitching starved market, Yankees should be able to find teams willing to take him, and might end up eating little if any money, depending on how he does here on out.
If you'd like to start a new thread about Moose in '08, using some of the points you'd made here, I will reply to it. I think that it would make for an interesting discussion here.

[TonyStarks]

It doesn;t surprise me. I bet they`ll be signing a FA, especially if he leaves

So if the Yanks go out and get a FA, who's left out of the Rotation and who's in?

Wang, Mussina (Please retire), Hughes, Chamberlain, Igawa?


If Pettitte doesn't retire, what do you do? Sit a guy making $11M next year (Mussina), or relegate a promising rookie starter to the pen or drop him back down to the minors to develop further and stop the option clock (Kennedy, Chamberlain or Hughes)? Maybe if Mussina picks things up, they'll find a trade partner that Mussina will waive his no-trade clause for (threaten to relegate him to the pen next year to light a fire under him to waive his trade clause). In this pitching starved market, Yankees should be able to find teams willing to take him, and might end up eating little if any money, depending on how he does here on out.

I don't care how bad Mussina is....you cannot 'threaten' to put him in the pen.
At least I feel so. This would send a bad message to other free agents and even to the Mussina's teammates. It's bad business.

You either put Mussina on the DL or get him to work out his problems.
Or you ask him if he's willing to work out of the pen until the problem resolves itself or until his contract is over.

In the end, I think the Yanks will just end up having to eat those $11M for Mussina. At least it's just one year.

[Mariano_Rivera]

So if the Yanks go out and get a FA, who's left out of the Rotation and who's in?

Wang, Mussina (Please retire), Hughes, Chamberlain, Igawa?




Igawa/Kennedy I think. I don;t see how you can have 3 rookies and Mussina in the rotation.

Unless you can trade Mussina

[TonyStarks]

Igawa/Kennedy I think. I don;t see how you can have 3 rookies and Mussina in the rotation.

Unless you can trade Mussina

Wang, Moose, Hughes, Chamberlain, Kennedy.....
I also don't know about a rotation like that.

That's why I think that Igawa has to step it up and bring it next season.
Maybe a year of living in the US, a year of MLB under his belt should do him well. Yankees really need him to improve.

So if Igawa does improve and wins a spot in the rotation...what does that mean for Kennedy/Chamberlain? Do you send Kennedy back to AAA and keep Joba in the rotation? Or do you put Chamberlain back @ Setup man and stick Kennedy in the rotation?

[MLB2k7]

he sure looks like it after tonite.



..NY Daily News


Andy Pettitte has enjoyed his return to pinstripes and has been healthy all season. But he's still unsure of his plans for next year, something he will evaluate at home in Houston this winter.

Pettitte holds a $16 million player option on his contract. If he wants to pitch, he can. But Pettitte considered retiring last year and still feels the pull of ending his career to be a full-time dad to his four kids.

"I'm not real sure what I'm going to do," said Pettitte, who is 13-8 with a 3.78 ERA. "It's kind of strange, because for sure I didn't expect my arm to respond the way it has this year. That's the whole reason I wanted the option, so I didn't feel obligated if I was hurting this year to come back.

"I want to sit down with my family, my wife and my oldest boy and see what they think. I'm really not even thinking about it now."

Pettitte added that he came back to New York to help the Yanks win another World Series, "but I want to be there for my kids and for my wife. That's just extremely important to me. I feel like I've missed out on a lot in their lives and that'll weigh big on my decision."

---

If Andy retires, I would miss the guy's presence on the team and on the mound. Also, his retirement would push Hughes up in the rotation along with Chamberlain and possibly Kennedy or Igawa.

It could be a very young rotation especially if Moose hangs'em up too.

1)Wang, 2)Moose, 3)Hughes, 4)Chamberlain, Kennedy, Rasner, Igawa, Karstens would probably all be candidates for the rotation.

I'm sure that Hughes, Joba, and Ian will all be on some sort of pitch count.
The Yanks may have to go out and find an innings eater if Andy does retire.
Or, I hope that Igawa could at least do something in the low to mid 4s and give quality innings.
I think the Yanks could survive with Hughes and Chamberlain in the rotation, but having 3 kids could be pushing it and very taxing on the bullpen.

[Mattingly]

he sure looks like it after tonite.
I say to give him the "Moose treatment":

Skip his next start, let him go 2 days later on, and limit his PC & IP.

He should be fine, but his arm may be dead.

[clipper]

I don't think Andy will retire. He is considering it. But I really feel Igawa was a mistake and don't want him in the rotation. We acquired Igawa to replace Andy (2 years) but I just don't feel he is or will be a quality starter and is better in the pen replacing Henn.

If Andy does retire I wish him the best a great Yankee. (I don't think he will get in HOF but is in mine).

Another worry with Arod,

Clipper

[Yankwood]

I'd rather have Pettitte on guile, guts and a worn out arm than Igawa on his best day. Totally senseless move that will baffle us forever. Marginal pitcher by all (and I mean ALL) accounts commanding a ton of money. It's bewildering.

[Mariano_Rivera]

Wang, Moose, Hughes, Chamberlain, Kennedy.....
I also don't know about a rotation like that.

That's why I think that Igawa has to step it up and bring it next season.
Maybe a year of living in the US, a year of MLB under his belt should do him well. Yankees really need him to improve.

So if Igawa does improve and wins a spot in the rotation...what does that mean for Kennedy/Chamberlain? Do you send Kennedy back to AAA and keep Joba in the rotation? Or do you put Chamberlain back @ Setup man and stick Kennedy in the rotation?

Hmmm, I think Kennedy goes back to AAA