Pitcher Andy Pettitte is the subject of the fifth in the ongoing series about the key Stros players (previous posts here, here, here and here).
Pettitte is the hometown boy (Deer Park High School in suburban east Houston area) who returned to Houston in 2004 with a $31.5 million three year contract after a brilliant nine year stint with the New York Yankees that coincided with the Yankees winning four World Series Championships. Pettitte’s first season was highly frustrating as an elbow injury resulted in a premature end of the season before the Stros caught fire and came within a game of the World Series. One would not be going out on a limb to suggest that the Stros would have made the World Series in 2004 had Pettitte been able to pitch the entire season.

Despite that disappointment, Pettitte has rebounded this season with one of the best seasons of his career, currently 4th in the National League in runs saved against average (“RSAA”, explained here). Under contract to the Stros at $17.5 million for one more season, the 33 year old Pettitte is at a crossroads — he probably still has several more seasons left in his tank, but the final season of his contract coincides with the Stros over-priced contract on Jeff Bagwell, so it is unlikely the Stros would pay an aging Pettitte at the same level that the club would pay younger pitchers such as Oswalt and Lidge. On the other hand, the Stros would love to have Pettitte as the elder statesman of their Berkman-Oswalt-Ensberg-Lidge nucleus over the next several years. Accordingly, if Pettitte is willing to take less to continue playing near home, then a deal is definitely possible that would likely keep Pettitte a Stro until he retires. His impressive stats are here.