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Reactions: Andy Pettitte's Retirement

By Dan Mennella [February 3, 2011 at 7:28pm CST]

Here's a look at some of the many and various takes on Andy Pettitte's retirement, which will be announced Friday ...

The Yankees will be no worse for the wear without the services of the aging and declining Pettitte, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. Although Pettitte would have been a convenient solution for the problem of the Yankees' thin starting rotation, he wouldn't necessarily have been an ideal fit on account of his diminishing workload over the past three years, according to Morosi.
The Bronx Bombers should have assumed Pettitte was going to retire and executed an offseason plan accordingly, writes Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com. Instead, they're now in a bind with the prospect of Ivan Nova, Sergio Mitre, Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon and a handful of promising but young prospects battling for two rotation spots.
Pettitte's decision is mildly surprising to Newsday's Ken Davidoff, who notes that Pettitte must have been pretty seriously contemplating a return, considering the left-hander had been throwing recently. Davidoff wonders whether the Yankees' failure to sign Cliff Lee and subsequently diminished World Series hopes factored into Pettitte's decision.
Pettitte simply must not have been "feeling it" after he began preparing for the 2011 season, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. Don't expect a midseason return -- a la Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez -- for Pettitte, adds Olney.
Whether Pettitte would return was as uncertain as a "flip of the coin," notes Tom Verducci of SI.com. Ultimately, the allure of spending more time with his family pulled the industrious Pettitte away from the game, according to Verducci.
Considering they have a stellar lineup, solid bullpen, considerable financial resources for future moves and a top-heavy rotation that could be effective if things break right, the Yankees needn't panic, writes Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com.
The Yankees' signing of reliever Rafael Soriano, thereby giving them a "lockdown pen," seems especially important in the wake of Pettitte's retirement, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.com.
Our own Mike Axisa of River Avenue Blues recounts his signature Pettitte moment.
And the debate begins in earnest: Jayson Stark of ESPN.com writes that Pettitte is not quite a Hall of Famer.