Andy Impasse

Andy Pettitte is sitting at home right now, enjoying his off-season. Meanwhile, his agents, the Hendricks brothers, are busying trying to make sure that Andy can enter the 2009 season making $16 million (his salary from last year). However, based on his 2008 performance, the Yankees don’t believe that Andy should receive such a deal and, instead, have offered him $10 million, which is a significant but understandable pay cut. Also, according to Jim Curry, they don’t intend on increasing their offer anytime soon.

Here’s what Brian Cashman had to say about the situation:

“We’d like to have him back,” General Manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday. “It’s come to the arena of trying to achieve common ground on money, which is easier said than done.”

Now, here’s what Andy had to say when asked about accepting a pay cut:

“Again, for me to even talk about anything right now, it does no good,” Pettitte said. “I really don’t even want to talk about it or anything, as far as what that has to do with me and all that. I’m just letting Randy and Alan and the Yankees work things out. I’m basically just trying to enjoy my off-season with my family, and that’s it.”

Basically, this is all just winter posturing. I expect the two sides to come to some sort of agreement soon, maybe during the GM Meetings (very likely). The Yankees will probably tack on a few extra million ($12-13) and that’ll be that ($10 million is pretty low and if the Yankees truly believed that Pettitte was a $10 million-pitcher, they wouldn’t even bother, would they?). Ultimately, Pettitte wants to return and the Yankees need him, so, in the end, this marriage should work out.