Andy Pettitte is returning to the Yankees, CBSSports.com Insider Jon Heyman has verified. The deal was originally reported by Jack Curry of YES Network.
Pettitte has inked a one-year, minor-league pact with the Yankees that will pay him $2.5 million for the upcoming season. Heyman also reports that Pettitte is not expected to be ready in time to be a part of the major-league rotation to start the year but notes that he should ready at some point early in the season.
Pettitte, who will turn 40 in June, last pitched in 2010. Although a groin strain sidelined him for more than two months that season, he did craft a 3.28 ERA across 129.0 innings. As for 2012, the Marcel projection system tabs Pettitte for a 4.07 ERA, which should be a tad better than league-average once you adjust for the tendencies of Yankee Stadium. Of course, Pettitte has the potential to be even better than that.
Pettitte stands as a 240-game winner, and Sam Miller points out via Twitter that the ageless Jamie Moyer has won 103 games since he was Pettitte's age.
So what does this mean for the suddenly deep Yankee rotation? Ace CC Sabathia's job is of course secure, and it's very likely that
Remember earlier in the winter when the Yankees had rotation concerns? Now, with the headline-grabbing addition of Pettitte, their only concern is sorting out an embarrassment of riches.
