Andy Pettitte Goes to Houston; Yankees Trade Weaver for Brown

[Perfection]

Thursday, December 11, 2003
 
ESPN.com news services
HOUSTON -- Andy Pettitte will pitch at home, agreeing Thursday to a $31.5 million, three-year contract with the Houston Astros after playing his entire major league career for the New York Yankees.

Tom Candiotti's Take
 
The Astros in recent years have been competitive offensively, with a strong lineup in a hitter-friendly ballpark. When young starters Wade Miller and Roy Oswalt, the Olympic star, arrived on the scene, they gave Astros fans hope.
But they've always come up short, having never won a postseason series. What they've been missing is that one guy who's been there and done that, who knows what it takes to make a club a champion.

In Andy Pettitte, the Astros have found that guy. I didn't think Houston would land him -- I didn't think the Yankees would let him go.

Pettitte has succeeded in the regular season and excelled in the postseason, winning some huge October games in his nine years with the Yankees. It's a bonus for Houston that he's a left-hander (Oswalt and Miller are right-handers) and relatively young (31). The Astros can now match Pettitte up against other No.1 starters and feel they have the upper hand.

Looking at the NL Central, the Cubs still have the best starting rotation, led by Kerry Wood and Mark Prior. But the Astros are much closer now. And Houston has an edge in the bullpen. Plus, the Cubs can't match Houston's offensive firepower.

Pettitte is well-suited for hitter-friendly Minute Maid Park. With a great curveball and cutter, he thrives on pitching inside to right-handers and getting in their kitchen, breaking bats and inducing ground balls.
Another factor that will benefit Pettitte is the change of leagues. I believe AL pitchers who go to the NL always have an opportunity to dominate early. Pettitte will no longer pitch against the DH, facing the pitcher's bat instead. And most NL hitters haven't seen him before, which is definitely an advantage for the pitcher.
ESPN baseball analyst Tom Candiotti was a major-league pitcher for 16 seasons.
 

Pettitte made his decision to accept Houston's heavily backloaded proposal after weighing a new offer from the Yankees on Wednesday night.

New York then went to its backup plan, and has agreed to a trade with Los Angeles that will send Kevin Brown to the Yankees for Jeff Weaver in a swap of starters, Newsday reports.

Pettitte took $7.5 million less to sign with the Astros -- the Yankees' last offer was for $39 million over three years. But the Astros play near Pettitte's hometown of Deer Park, an important factor for the pitcher's wife and children.

"They really wanted me here," said Pettitte, who also will play near former teammate and friend Roger Clemens, who retired from the Yankees to his home in nearby Katy. "My heart started pulling me and tugging me to come back down here and play in front of the Astros and the Houston fans."

Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner acknowledged the team's disappointment at losing the pitcher in a press conference.

"We hate to lose Andy Pettitte," he said. "We thank him for his many contributions to the New York Yankees, and we wish him the best of luck with his new team."

But Steinbrenner quickly tried to assure fans that Pettitte's absence would not damage the Yankees chances to return to the World Series.

"We know the fans may be disappointed, but if you're counting us out for next year, don't bet the house on it," he said.

Pettitte, in fact, has been working out with Clemens.

"I don't know what he's thinking, but he's been working out with me all week and he's in shape," Pettitte told Dan Patrick on ESPN Radio. "He could pitch right now. I can tell you this ... if he expressed to me at all that he wanted to play, I would be all over him."

Pettitte, 31, went 149-78 with the Yankees, who signed him in 1991. If he had stayed in New York, he would have had the chance to surpass Whitey Ford's 236 victories and become the winningest pitcher in team history.

Pettitte went 21-8 with a 4.02 ERA last season.

Derek Jeter tried to convince Pettitte to stay in the Bronx.

"He called me a few days ago and yeah, he tried to talk me into staying," Pettitte told Patrick. "That's one of the hard parts, leaving great guys like him and a lot of others."

"About a month ago when this all first began, I don't think any of us thought this was more than a pipe dream," Astros general manager Gerry Hunsicker said. "I can't think of a better person that fits the description of what we are trying to do in Houston, Texas, in regard to image and character. And we all know how important pitching is to a successful baseball team."

Pettitte will get $5.5 million next season, $8.5 million in 2005 and $17.5 million in 2006, according to contract details obtained by the Associated Press.

While the Astros were aggressive in their pursuit, the Yankees were unusually passive. New York waited until the last day of its exclusive 15-day window to make an offer, and it was for $30 million over three years, including a $3 million buyout of a 2007 option.

Boston made an early $52 million, four-year bid, one of the sources said, but Pettitte decided he couldn't pitch for the Yankees' rival.

With the Astros, he felt wanted.

"When I walked off the mound at Yankee Stadium at the end of [World Series] Game 6, I didn't think this would be a reality," Pettitte said. "I didn't know how interested the Astros would be."

He joins a team trying to rebuild and win at the same time. Houston dealt closer Billy Wagner to Philadelphia last month in a cost-cutting move. Pettitte will combine with Wade Miller and Roy Oswalt to form a powerful front three in the rotation.

While Houston has had many strong teams since joining the National League for the 1962 season, the Astros have never made it to the World Series.

Pettitte won four World Series with the Yankees.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report

[Javier]

great move by the Dodgers

[Perfection]

How is that great? The Dodgers got a pitcher who sucks for one that's great.

[Javier]

How is that great? The Dodgers got a pitcher who sucks for one that's great.

check how many games he has pitched for the last 4 years, hes been mediocre when he has pitched...his bestyears as a dodger was his first year, and he was being overpaid for not playing. THANK GOD

[ecrazy]

How is that great? The Dodgers got a pitcher who sucks for one that's great.

check how many games he has pitched for the last 4 years, hes been mediocre when he has pitched...his bestyears as a dodger was his first year, and he was being overpaid for not playing. THANK GOD

Yup Yup...couldnt have said it better myself