Baseball NOTEBOOK
Andy Pettitte is extremely unhappy with how his negotiations have gone with the Yankees, and the lefthander might be softening on his opposition to rejoining the Houston Astros, Newsday reported. What once seemed a fait accompli - Pettitte returning to the Yankees for a 12th season in pinstripes - now appears increasingly in jeopardy, although the two sides continue to communicate and they ultimately rank as each other's first choice.
Pettitte recently rejected the Yankees' offer of a $10 million salary for 2009, and a team source confirmed a New York Post report that the Yankees, with Mark Teixeira's deal completed, are inclined to offer Pettitte even less money now. Pettitte made $16 million with the Yankees each of the previous two years and hoped to match that salary this year.
The 36-year-old's grievances with the Yankees feature, most prominently, these three sentiments, according to people familiar with his thinking:
Pettitte believes the Yankees should display more appreciation for all that he has done for them.
While the Yankees are asking that Pettitte take a pay cut, the team clearly is not hurting financially, given its large investments in Teixeira, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.
Pettitte thinks that his 2008 season wasn't as bad as the Yankees are making it out to be.
* Red Sox: Boston is on the verge on signing free agent John Smoltz, who has pitched his entire major-league career with the Atlanta Braves, ESPN.com reported last night. Smoltz, 41, has pitched in 708 games for the Braves, winning 210 games and earning 154 saves. He has been rehabilitating his shoulder since having surgery last season, and there have been reports that the has made excellent progress.
The Red Sox also are expected to announce a deal is in place with free-agent outfielder Rocco Baldelli. The deal is expected to be announced at the Boston Baseball Writers Dinner tonight, where Baldelli will be honored. Baldelli, 27, has been limited to 155 games the last three years because of a mitochondrian disorder, a condition that leaves him feeling extremely fatigued after just a brief workout.
* Mets: Scott Boras took a tour of Citi Field and sat down for lunch with top executives. Next, the Mets hope they can lure one of Boras' high-profile free agents to their new ballpark, too. Hoping to fill a hole in the rotation, the Mets are interested in a pair of free-agent pitchers represented by Boras: right-hander Derek Lowe and lefty Oliver Perez.
