Andy Pettite may not be sure if he’ll play next season, but he’s willing to guarantee he won’t play beyond 2011.
Pettitte is no stranger to mulling retirement, as he has threatened to walk away from the game ever since his stint with the Houston Astros ended after the 2006 season. But according to a Yankees.com report, Pettitte is confident this will be his last offseason filled with uncertainty.
"Right now, I can tell you my heart's right here in Deer Park, (Texas),” Pettitte said. "If something happens and I play one more year, that would be it. It would be one more year and that would be it."
Pettitte is coming off of a solid but injury-plagued campaign with the Yankees that saw him post a 3.28 ERA in just 129 inning pitched. Despite finishing the year at the age of 38, Pettitte was arguably the Yank’s best starter aside from CC Sabathia, and is more than deserving of a chance to serve as the Yankees’ number three or four starter in 2011.
But while Pettitte would unquestionably be of value in the Bronx next season, he seems more reluctant to commit himself to returning to baseball than ever.
"I feel like I need to be around and raise [my kids], and I feel like we're getting to that point where it's the crucial ages of their lives that I need to be around a little bit more," Pettitte said.
If Pettitte were to retire, the Yankees will be forced to drastically overhaul a rotation that was very top -heavy in 2010. Sabathia, Pettitte, and Phil Hughes formed a formidable 1-2-3 punch when all healthy, but A.J. Burnett and Javier Vazquez had poor years — as did most of the pitchers who replaced Pettitte while injured.
Vazquez is certain to leave as a free agent, and the Yankees are pursuing Cliff Lee – the unanimous best starter in this year’s free-agent class – as his replacement.
If Pettitte leaves as well, the Yankees are likely to also target a mid-rotation free-agent starter, and were recently rumored to have interest in Jorge De La Rosa.
