Teixeira Says Pettitte Leaning Towards Retirement

New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira has been exchanging text messages with Andy Pettitte during the offseason as Pettitte sits at home in Deer Park, Texas, deciding whether to pitch for the Yankees in 2011 or retire.

Teixeira said on Tuesday that, through his communication with Pettitte, he's gotten the sense that the veteran left-hander is "leaning toward retirement." But the Yankees first baseman is holding out hope that Pettitte will return to a Yankees rotation that sorely needs him next season.

The Yankees are hoping that those thoughts change in the next month and a half because they desperately need Pettitte to fill out their rotation that already has question marks at the back end. Even with Pettitte, the Yankees, as it stands now, have to rely on either a rookie or highly inexperienced starter to fill out the back two spots of their rotation. Without Pettitte the Yankees have a starting rotation with serious holes, with the uncertainty of AJ Burnett, Sergio Mitre, Ivan Nova and whether or not Phil Hughes can repeat his 18 win season. This is something that has left many uneasy and really trying to convince Pettitte to return for the 2011 season.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman echoed similar sentiments about Pettitte earlier this month. Pettitte, 38, is coming off one of the best seasons of his 16-year career. He finished 2010 with an 11-3 record and a 3.28 ERA. He missed most of the second half with a groin injury but returned late in the regular season. He went 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA in two playoff starts for the Bombers, who were eliminated in the ALCS by the Texas Rangers.

For the past two seasons, Pettitte has used the offseason to decide whether to return to baseball or retire. He pitched last season on a one-year, $11.75 million contract. He indicated after the Yankees' Game 6 loss to the Rangers in Texas that he was leaning toward retirement.

But Teixeira hopes that Pettitte changes his mind in the next few weeks and shows up in Tampa on Feb. 14, when pitchers and catchers report to the Yankees' spring training complex, and quite honestly, so do many others.

The Yankees need Andy Pettitte badly and they know it. I don't think they are overly comfortable with their rotation without Pettitte and if he decides to retire I think the Yankees would make a move to acquire a starting pitcher with a reputation; someone like Mark Buehrle, Carlos Zambrano or Edwin Jackson.

If the Yankees do re-sign Pettitte I think the Yankees would like to see Ivan Nova fill out that last spot in the rotation instead of having to rely on Sergio Mitre, who has been mediocre at best each time on the bump.

Pettitte, who made $11.75 million last season, has increased financial leverage now that Cliff Lee spurned the Yankees and is headed to Philadelphia. His 2010 salary was very low for someone that was essentially the number two starter and Pettitte has said he will not come back if the Yanks low ball him with another incentive-laden deal.

Here's to hoping Pettitte decides to return in 2011 because the Yankees need him badly now more than ever.