NEW YORK (AP) -Andy Pettitte wants to play for the New York Yankees next season. He just doesn’t know if the club feels the same way.
General manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday he wants Pettitte to return next year but the 36-year-old left-hander said Friday night he hadn’t heard from the team.
“I let them know a few week ago I’d like to come back and play,” Pettitte said at Joe Torre’s annual Safe At Home Foundation dinner, which honored the 1998 World Champion Yankees. “My agent said he would call me if he had heard anything and he hasn’t heard anything.”
Pettitte likely would have to agree to a cut from his $16 million salary last season, when he went 14-14 with a 4.54 ERA – his highest ERA since 1999. Pettitte was 2-7 with a 6.23 ERA in his final 11 starts, and he missed his last turn because of a sore pitching shoulder. End-of-season tests failed to reveal significant issues.
I’d like to play baseball. Other than that I’ll have to wait and see what they’d like to do.”
Only Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain are guaranteed spots in New York’s rotation next year, and Chamberlain likely will have an innings limit. Mike Mussina is coming off the first 20-win season of his career but turns 40 next month and appears to be leaning toward retirement.
“Obviously there’s discussions internally that have taken place,” said manager Joe Girardi, who admitted Mussina told him at the end of the season he would probably retire. “Have we signed anyone? No.
“I know Andy wants to come back and we’re interested in bringing Andy back. Andy’s been a mainstay for a long time here and we believe he still has good baseball in him.”
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