The .300 Hitter: A New York arms race

Photo Credit: CBS Sports

By Adam Cancryn

Signing Andy Pettitte is the latest — a perhaps shrewdest — move in the Yankees' push for a championship.

In the continuation of a practice that only began a few years ago, the New York Yankees entered this offseason with something resembling a strategy.

This strategy did not consist of throwing money at every shiny thing on the market, which was a constructive step forward from the early 2000s. Rather, the Yankees reviewed their strengths and weaknesses, and then set about addressing their needs in a systematic and coherent manner. That might sound simple to the rest of the league, but for New York, it was a revelation.

Aided by a deep talent pool and deeper pockets, the Yankees turned a tattered pitching corps into one of the best on-paper staffs in Major League Baseball over the space of a month, adding Hiroki Kuroda and 23-year-old All-Star Michael Pineda, while jettisoning A.J. Burnett. The shuffling left New York with what seemed like a completed roster.

Which is why it was baffling when the Yankees announced last week that they had signed Andy Pettitte to a $2.5 million minor league deal. Where exactly would he fit in? Why spend money on a 39-year-old that hasn't played professional baseball since 2010? And most importantly, whatever happened to that coherent strategy?

Turns out, signing Pettitte wasn't an impulse buy. In fact, it was the surest sign yet that the Yankees are committed to building a World Series team, and not just hoarding a group of big-name players.

While news of Pettitte's return came as a shock to the public, the deal had been in the works for some time. The 6'5" lefty started throwing again in December 2011, soon after which he contacted the Yankees about a potential comeback, General Manager Brian Cashman said, according to Sports Illustrated. New York went as far as offering him a contract in the $10 million to $12 million range, but Pettitte turned it down, saying he wasn't fully committed to playing again.

The deal appearing dead, Cashman turned his attention to acquiring Pineda and Kuroda, both of which he accomplished. Only after that did Pettitte confirm that he did indeed want to return. He joined the team as a special instructor, and later did an official workout. The Yankees saw enough that they liked to sign him to a minor league contract.

To be clear, the organization isn't paying Pettitte $2.5 million to sit in a Scranton bullpen and crack jokes with the youngsters. The plan is to have him pitching in the Majors as soon as is feasible. The real question now is when exactly that will be, and where he'll fit into the rotation. The Yankees' pitching staff is currently filled, with CC Sabathia and Pineda at the top, followed by Kuroda, Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes. Veteran Freddy Garcia is there too, making for six viable starters before Pettitte is thrown into the mix.

But while it seems crowded now, the Yankees are painfully aware that injuries and slumps can thin out the herd quick. New York has suffered from a lack of quality back-end starters for the past two years, and in a division where two to three wins often separate first from third place, the Yankees know that they have to overcompensate. Hughes and Garcia have faltered in the past, and there are worries that Nova doesn't strike enough batters out to succeed in the bandbox that is Yankee Stadium. Add in the inevitable injuries, and even a six-man rotation might not be enough.

So why sign Pettitte instead of relying on the farm system or signing another free agent who has actually taken the mound in the past year? In short, Pettitte was the cheapest and lowest-risk option on the table. The Yankees had already committed $10 million to Kuroda and paid more than half of Burnett's $31 million contract, while trading away key minor leaguers to get Pineda. Pettitte didn't require any major financial or personnel sacrifice, and after spending 13 years with New York, he was a known entity with no baggage. He simply fit into the targeted, shrewd strategy that until recently was the antithesis of the Yankee organization.

As far as what he can contribute this year, that much is less predictable. But if past performance is any indication, Pettitte should be more than serviceable as a fourth or fifth starter. He posted the fourth-highest ERA+ of his career (132) in 2010, while going 11-3 and throwing 129 innings. Pettitte made his career with consistency and a variety of pitches, attributes that don't disappear with age the way a power fastball does. If he can come close to replicating that 2010 performance, Pettitte will have proved far more valuable than his paltry salary.

Lastly, and perhaps most significantly from the Yankees' perspective, is his postseason experience. As the rotation currently stands, the six starters ahead of Pettitte have appeared in 47 playoff games. Pettitte, meanwhile, has appeared in 42 games alone, all of them as a starting pitcher. His presence gives the Yankees an option they can be confident will be able to handle the demands of a short series, and a starter that can step in if they decide Hughes or Nova are better fits in the bullpen down the stretch.

For both Pettitte and the Yankees, this deal is about winning a championship. And with the Yankees' on-field talent and their new, laser-focused front office approach, both sides might end up with just what they wanted.

Adam Cancryn is an editor and co-founder of Began in '96.