When 38-year-old left-hander Andy Pettitte announced his retirement from the game of baseball on Friday at a press conference inside the halls of Yankee Stadium, he answered a question about possibly pitching again with a “never say never” type of response. In fact, those were nearly his exact words. Now Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe can add a little fuel to that fire.
Cafardo spoke to a scout this weekend who believes that Pettitte might return at some point. Maybe not this season, but possibly in 2012.
The Yanks were thought to be offering Pettitte a one-year, $12 million contract, and they probably would have sweetened that sum if he had asked. There’s little doubt that they will have interest if he decides to make a comeback next winter.
Pettitte has never relied on high velocities. He averaged under 90 MPH on his fastball last season and has been in the 89 MPH range for much of his career. He’s simply a crafty lefty, and he could probably remain crafty well into his early 40s.