Well Hello Again Stranger: Andy Pettitte Out of Retirement

That was pretty quick... apparently retirement wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Just over a year after announcing his departure from Major League Baseball, Andy Pettitte has decided to make a comeback.

The New York Yankees announced Friday that the 39-year-old lefty had signed a minor-league deal with an invitation to big league spring training. If he ends up making the major league roster, he would get a $2.5 million, one-year contract.

Pettitte is expected in camp on Tuesday and is vying for a spot in the rotation, which already includes CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova, Michael Pineda, Phil Hughes, and maybe even Freddy Garcia.

Pettitte, who owns a career 240-138 record, spent all but three of his 16 seasons in the big leagues with the Yankees, heading down to Houston to pitch for the Astros from 2004-06. In his last season in the Bronx in 2010, he was named to the American League All-Star team and went 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA. He was always dependable in the postseason, and that's always handy when you're the Yankees.

Welcome back Andy Pettitte, thanks for the surprise.

[River Ave. Blues]