The Yankees are bringing back a familiar face ahead of the trade deadline, though he won’t be suiting up for the team on the field. New York is reportedly set to bring back franchise great starting pitcher Andy Pettitte to serve in an advisory role for the organization.
According to Bob Klapisch of NJ.com, Pettitte will be an advisor for manager Aaron Boone, suggesting there are no plans to remove pitching coach Matt Blake from his role. This marks the second in-season change the Yankees have made over the past couple of weeks, having fired hitting coach Dillon Lawson and replaced him with Sean Casey earlier in July.
Boone told reporters he was excited to welcome Pettitte back to the clubhouse, saying there would “always be a seat on the plane saved” for the 51-year-old.
Pettitte pitched 15 seasons with the Yankees, from 1995 to 2003 and again from ’07 to ’13, though he didn’t play in ’11. The left-hander was a three-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion. He holds the all-time MLB record with 19 wins registered during the postseason.
With the Yankees vying for a Wild Card spot in the American League, they’re hoping the presence of Pettitte can help the pitching staff throughout the final months of the campaign.
