New York Yankees Rumors: No Arbitration for Pettitte, Abreu

Strange day for the New York Yankees in terms of free agency and arbitration.

The Yankees have declined to offer arbitration to Andy Pettitte, Bobby Abreu and Mike Mussina (expected). The Bobby Abreu move is particularly curious considering that they would either pay a good player a relatively affordable price – or, more likely, lose him to a larger deal elsewhere and recoup two draft picks… .surely something the aging, overpriced Yankees team could use. Right? John Heyman reports:

“The Yankees will not offer arbitration to free agents Andy Pettitte and Bobby Abreu, SI.com has learned. The Yankees did not want to chance taking either player to arbitration since both players made $16 million in 2008 and stood to make even more than that in arbitration. Both players can still re-sign with the Yankees though only Pettitte appears to have a good chance to do so.

Both Pettitte and Abreu had been classified as a Type A free agent, which would have given the Yankees two draft picks if either departed: the first round selection of whichever team signs the player and a supplemental pick at the end of the first round. But because the Yankees declined to offer either player arbitration, they gave up a chance to win a draft pick from the signing team.”

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