Andy Pettitte, and the Retirement Conundrum

Yankee officials recently announced that the odds for Andy Pettitte to return in 2011 were "fifty-fifty".  Pettitte, 38, told Yankee management to assume he won't be pitching next season.  Despite this, there are some reasons to believe that Andy Pettitte won't retire and will in fact return to the Yankees for another season.  Manager Joe Girardi recently mentioned that Pettitte has begun strength and pitching conditioning at his home in Deer Park, Texas.  Also, General-Manager Brian Cashman hasn't ruled out the possibility that Pettitte could return mid-season in a manner akin to Roger Clemens' return in 2007.  Although management has signed several pitchers in an attempt to stabilize (and relieve) the questionable rotation (Bartolo Colon, Rafael Soriano, Pedriano Feliciano), they should wait on Pettitte with bated breath, as the 38 year old veteran's dubious return (or lack of) will either make or break the Yankees 2011 season.
 
Andy Pettitte's phenomenal 2010 season was tragically cut short when a nagging groin injury limited him to only 21 starts (4 after the All-Star break).  Before the All-Star break, Pettitte compiled a record of 11 wins and only 2 losses, with an incredible win/loss percentage of .846.  His ERA of 2.70 (an incredible feat in itself, given the fact that the AL East is the hardest hitting division in the MLB) also ranked 4th in the American League, and as a byproduct of these sensational statistics, the gutsy southpaw was named to the 2010 All-Star team.  It seemed like every time he got into trouble, he would immaculately place his next pitch in a perfect spot, and would get his opponent to ground into an inning ending double-play.  It truly was a thrill to see a pitcher command such confidence and authority.  Simply put, Pettitte was having a Cy Young Award worthy season.  The groin injury that Pettitte sustained on July 15th, his first start after the All-Star Break, sidelined him until September 19th.  When Pettitte went down, the Yankees winning ways deteriorated, and they stumbled into October.

The 2010 season proved how important Andy Pettitte is to the Yankee franchise.  The rotation floundered without Andy's steady arm.  Behind C.C. Sabathia, the team had nobody to rely on: Hughes wore down, mercurial A.J.  was anything but reliable, Javy Vazquez was depressingly bad, and the fifth slot in the rotation was filled by unknowns Sergio Mitre, Ivan Nova and Dustin Moseley.  Expect much of the same for 2011 if number 46 chooses to retire.  While he may not be as dominant as he initially was in 2010, you can expect steady Andy to gut out 15 wins and have an ERA around 4.00.  The future Hall of Fame candidate's consistency makes him one of the best #2 pitchers in all of baseball, and the Yankees in all likelihood go from a 90/91 win team to a 96 win team with him in the rotation.

I hope Andy does come back, because above all else, I love to see the man pitch.  It is such a joy to watch a genius like him throw the baseball, and he most certainly is a pitching genius.  The way he knows exactly how and where to throw a pitch corresponding to a certain game time situation is simply incredible.  It thrills me to watch him play this game of baseball, and for just one more year, I'd like to stay enraptured.

Yanks ink closer Rafael Soriano to 3 year deal

In an effort to strengthen their bullpen (and by extension, protect their beleaguered starting pitching rotation), the Yankees have agreed to sign free agent pitcher Rafael Soriano to a three-year, $35 million contract.  Soriano, the 9 year, right-handed veteran is coming off a phenomenal season with the Tampa Bay Rays.  Soriano served as the team's closer, and delivered lusty numbers for the Yank's divisional rival: an American League leading 45 saves, a 1.73 ERA, an .802 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings pitched.  The 2010 All-Star will become the Yankees eighth-inning setup man, and will replace Kerry Wood as the bridge to Mariano Rivera.  By signing Soriano the Yanks have potentially killed two birds with one stone: they found both a phenomenal setup man and a suitable successor (as a closer) to the great Mariano.

This seemingly ideal trade was not without controversy, however.  Yankee General-Manager Brian Cashman stated that he was unwilling to give up a first-round draft pick to sign Soriano (due to Soriano's Type A free agent status).  Nor was Cashman particularly thrilled about handing a relief pitcher a $10 million salary for the 2011 season.  Cashman also cited Soriano's attitude as a possible detriment to the team, as Soriano has had problems with other clubhouses in the past.   Despite Cashman's protests, the heads of the Yankee organization, including owners Hal and Hank Steinbrenner and Team President Randy Levine, all pushed for Soriano's signing.

I have several takes on this signing.  First, it was of extreme importance for the Yankees to sign a reliable pitcher this off-season.  The starting rotation will be significantly weaker than last year's rotation if Andy Pettitte opts to retire.  With Pettitte gone, the rotation must rely on mercurial A.J. Burnett, rookie Ivan Nova, and journeyman Sergio Mitre to complement C.C. Sabathia and Phil Hughes: a tall order, indeed.  Therefore, the addition of another reliable reliever to strengthen the Yankees already capable bullpen is a tremendous move.  Manager Joe Girardi has essentially two great closers at his disposal.  With Soriano and Mariano the Great handling the eighth and ninth innings, and Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson, and lefty-specialists Boone Logan and Pedro Feliciano handling the seventh inning or specific match-ups, the Yankees will essentially reduce the game to 6 innings.  The bullpen has potential to be as formidable as the 1996 World Champion Yankee bullpen.  Anchored by a young Mariano Rivera and All-Star closer John Wetteland, the 1996 Yankees' shutdown bullpen enabled them to win the World Series despite the fact that they had a below average starting rotation.   The 2011 Yankees could potentially be the spiritual successors to the '96 champs, and another trip down the Canyon of Heroes becomes far more realistic with the addition of Soriano.

Second, Soriano's past reputation of causing problems in the clubhouse is more than a little unsettling. Bill Madden of the New York Daily News reports that Soriano had a terrible attitude in Tampa last year.  Soriano was allegedly "hated by almost everyone on the Rays".  Madden also states that Soriano hated being brought in to pitch in non-save situations or for more than one inning.  If he continues to behave like this in New York, Soriano could cause major tension in Yankee clubhouse.

Overall, I would give this deal a B/B+.  I would have given the signing an A had Soriano been given less money (even for Yankee standards, $35 million, 3 year deals are ridiculous contracts for relief pitchers).  Soriano's attitude also detracts from the overall worthiness of the signing.  I don't, however, believe this will be a major issue as the Yankees' clubhouse is already well-established and littered with many businesslike veterans.  Derek and Jorge and Mariano could easily put Soriano in line if it came down to it.  Hopefully, no confrontation will ever happen, and the bullpen will lead the Yankees to another World Championship.