Pettitte Goes Home to Houston

Andy Pettitte followed his heart home to Houston, making a “gut-wrenching” decision Thursday to leave the New York Yankees and accept a $31.5-million, three-year contract with the Astros.

After winning four World Series championships and six American League pennants in New York, Pettitte hopes his winning ways will help lead Houston to its first title. And he’d like an old friend to join him -- Pettitte is trying to get Roger Clemens to push back retirement and pitch for the Astros next season.

“I left him this morning. He’s still working out with me. We’ll see what happens,” Pettitte said. “I know the media’s already hit him up on that, and if I feel there’s a chance, I’ll hit him up on it too.”

Yankee owner George Steinbrenner lamented the loss of Pettitte.

“We hate to lose Andy Pettitte,” Steinbrenner said in a statement. “We know the fans may be disappointed, but if you’re counting us out next year, don’t bet the house.”

With the Astros, Pettitte forms a powerful front end of a rotation that already included Roy Oswalt and Wade Miller.

“All I’ve known in New York was winning,” Pettitte said. “I wouldn’t have come here if I wouldn’t have felt I had a chance to win.”

Randy Hendricks, Pettitte’s agent, told the Yankees during the day that Pettitte was on the verge of going to Houston and suggested that if New York wanted to catch his attention, the Yankees should offer a $52-million, four-year contract. Even with that, Hendricks couldn’t guarantee Pettitte would accept.

“At that level, we weren’t comfortable,” Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman said.

New York countered with a $26-million, two-year offer with a third season at $13 million that would become guaranteed if Pettitte wasn’t on the disabled list for much of 2005.

By then it was too late.

“Over the last two weeks I felt my heart was really tugging me to come back here,” Pettitte said.

Pettitte was 21-8 last season with a 4.08 earned-run average, improving his career record to 149-78.

Pettitte will get $5.5 million next season, $8.5 million in 2005 and $17.5 million in 2006 -- with $7.5 million in the final season deferred until July 1, 2008.

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Left-hander Mark Buehrle agreed to a three-year, $18-million deal with the Chicago White Sox. The contract includes a club option for 2007.

Buehrle would have been eligible for salary arbitration in each of the next three years, and could have been a free agent after the 2006 season.

Buehrle, 24, went 14-14 with a 4.14 ERA in a career-high 35 starts in 2003, surviving a long early-season losing streak in his fourth season with the White Sox.

He was 12-4 with a 3.47 ERA over his final 20 starts.

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Catcher Benito Santiago finalized his $4.3-million, two-year contract with the Kansas City Royals.

Santiago’s deal calls for yearly salaries of $2.15 million. He can earn an additional $150,000 in bonuses each year based on games and $300,000 more based on plate appearances.

The 1987 NL Rookie of the Year spent the last three seasons with the San Francisco Giants.

Santiago, 38, hit .279 with 21 doubles, 11 home runs and 56 runs batted in in 108 games.

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The Seattle Mariners agreed to multiyear contracts with two key contributors from last season, switch-hitting outfielder Randy Winn and right-hander Ryan Franklin.

Winn received a deal that guarantees him $11 million over three years. Franklin got a $4.3-million, two-year contract.

Winn batted .295 last season with 11 homers and 75 RBIs.

Franklin went 11-13 with a 3.57 ERA, ranking ninth in the AL. Franklin had career highs in wins, innings (212), starts (32) and strikeouts (99).

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Free-agent shortstop Miguel Tejada expects to sign a contract over the weekend, but he wouldn’t say with which team.

The 27-year-old Tejada -- the 2002 American League most valuable player -- has played all seven of his major league seasons with the Oakland Athletics. The low-budget A’s have said they can’t afford to give him the long-term deal he wants.

The A’s offered Tejada salary arbitration, although it seems unlikely they’ll re-sign him.

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Philadelphia Phillie reliever Dan Plesac retired, ending an 18-year career. He appeared in 1,064 games, fourth on baseball’s all-time list.

Last season, Plesac, 41, was 2-1 with two saves and a 2.70 ERA in 58 appearances.

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The Montreal Expos released a schedule that calls for 22 games to be played in San Juan, even though an agreement with the Puerto Rican promoter has yet to be finalized. The 2004 schedule has the Expos playing 59 games at Olympic Stadium and 22 “home” games in Puerto Rico, all before the All-Star break.

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Pettitte’s Record

The year-by-year record of left-hander Andy Pettitte, who left the New York Yankees on Thursday to sign with the Houston Astros:

*--* Year Tm IP W-L BB SO ERA 1995 NYY 175 12-9 63 114 4.17 1996 NYY 221 21-8 72 162 3.87 1997 NYY 240.1 18-7 65 166 2.88 1998 NYY 216.1 16-11 87 146 4.24 1999 NYY 191.2 14-11 89 121 4.70 2000 NYY 204.2 19-9 80 125 4.35 2001 NYY 200.2 15-10 41 164 3.99 2002 NYY 134.2 13-5 32 97 3.27 2003 NYY 208.1 21-8 50 180 4.02 Totals 1792.2 149-78 579 1,275 3.94

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