According to a unnamed source in New York, after months of teetering back and forth, Andy Pettitte will officially announce his retirement on Friday. This is fantastic news for Boston Red Sox fans, because it immediately removes an option in the starting rotation for the New York Yankees in 2011. Even at age 38, Pettitte is a force to be reckoned with, and being a difficult lefty, he would have given the lefty-heavy Red Sox lineup fits this season. Throughout his career, Pettitte consistently pitched at a high level, winning 11+ games in 15 of his 16 major league seasons, with a solid 3.88 era. He walks away from the game having started 479 games, and holding an impressive 240-138 record with over 3,000 innings pitched. Even though Brian Cashman has been building the Yankees club expecting Pettitte to retire, deep down he hoped he would return. This is a blow to the Yanks chances in 2011. (more after the jump)
It can’t be stated enough the massive contributions Pettitte has made to the New York Yankees, the Houston Astros and the game of baseball itself over the past 16 years. Since his debut in 1995, Pettitte has made opposing hitters look silly in the batter’s box, both during the regular season and post-season. In 16 seasons, Pettitte pitched in the post-season 13 different years, accumulating a 19-10 record with a 3.83 era in 42 games (all starts). He has pitched in 15 Division Series games, 14 Championship Series games and 13 World Series games, making him a sure-fire Hall of Famer when his name arrives on the ballot. He is a 3-time All-Star (1996, 2001, and 2010) and was a work-horse, leading the league 3 times in games started (1997, 2006, and 2007). He has been there, done that and got the t-shirt when it comes to Major League accomplishments, so his retirement should not come as a shock to many.
The bigger question now sits with the Yankees and their starting rotation. C.C. Sabathia is the clear ace of the staff, followed by Phil Hughes and A.J.Burnett, two players that can be extremely inconsistent. The final two rotation spots are completely up for grabs, with Sergio Mitre and Ivan Nova as possible options and newly acquired veterans Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon looking to revive their careers, but none of the 4 possible options wow anybody. They are decent pitchers, but won’t intimidate AL East foes and will likely have a tough time facing the likes of the Red Sox lineup with a relentless attack of strong hitters 1-8. I have to believe Cashman will pull off a trade for another top starter before the Spring is through, but as of now, nothing seems imminent.
As I heard about the news this afternoon of Pettitte’s retirement, my immediate reaction was “I’ll believe it when I see it.” It has happened in the past, where an older pitcher returns mid-season to help a club make the post-season (Roger Clemens). Maybe it is cynicism, but the declaration of retirement seems to have lost all of it’s meaning since Brett Favre retired and un-retired 12 times, and with the financial resources of the Yankees, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Pettitte be wooed into returning to the game in July, when the Yankees realize they don’t have enough starting pitchers to contend. It’s amazing what $20 million will do to entice a pitcher back from the edge. I hope I am wrong and this retirement is for real, but I get the sneaky suspicion the Pettitte era isn’t over just yet.
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