Andy Pettitte announced his retirement on February 2, but today Jorge Posada told Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if his longtime batterymate reconsidered and returned to the Yankees at some point in 2011.
Or course, Wallace also writes that Posada “admitted he had no real reason for believing Pettitte might change his mind” and is basing it mostly off his knowledge of Pettitte’s “competitive nature.”
Here’s more from Posada:
However, before Yankees fans get too excited, Posada also told Matthews that Pettitte seemed “at peace with his decision” based on text messages they exchanged, saying: “It seemed like he had made his decision and he was OK with it.”
It’s tough to tell how much of Posada’s comments are wishful thinking, but either way I’m sure there will be Pettitte-related storylines throughout the first half, particularly if the back of the Yankees’ rotation struggles.