Andy Pettitte will be back with the Yankees for 2013, signing a one year, $12 million contract with the team. After retiring following the 2010 season, Pettitte returned to the Yankees in May of 2012, and it was unknown whether or not he'd be back for 2013.
Further throwing Pettitte's status for 2013 in doubt were injuries. Pettitte fractured his ankle after being hit with a line drive in June, and only made three starts over the rest of the regular season. But when Pettitte was healthy, he was having a fantastic year. In 12 starts, the 40-year old threw 75 1/3 innings and posted a 2.87 ERA, his best since he pitched to a 2.39 ERA in 2005 with the Astros. Pettitte also posted an 8.24 strikeout rate and a 2.51 walk rate, both of which are better than his career averages.
With the Yankees re-signing Hiroki Kuroda and already having CC Sabathia in the fold, Pettitte's return to the squad for 2013 should give New York GM Brian Cashman some peace of mind concerning the team's starting rotation for 2013. The Yankees can get two of Phil Hughes, David Phelps, and Ivan Nova to stick for the final two spots and be able to compete with the strength of their top three starters. I'd honestly put those top three starters up against anyone else in the AL East, and I think the Sabathia/Kuroda/Pettitte trio might be the best of the five teams in the division, considering the question marks in Boston, the potential trades in Tampa Bay, the influx of new talent in Toronto, and the erratic situation in Baltimore.
