TAMPA, Fla. _ Derek Jeter recently hired one member of the Core Four, Jorge Posada, so it's reasonable to assume he might have placed a call to another.
And indeed, Andy Pettitte said Monday, he had spoken with Jeter, the Marlins' CEO.
But the discussions never got especially in-depth or specific.
"I've spoken with Derek recently," Pettitte said Monday. "Obviously that would be something fun you could consider with a couple of my buddies over there doing that, but this is something that's been in the works, really, for five years since I retired. Hal and Cash have been so great to me."
The Yankees announced Monday that Pettitte had been brought aboard as a special adviser to the general manager, though the lefthander smiled when asked what he would be doing in his new role compared to his old one (Pettitte has been a periodic guest spring training instructor in retirement, in addition to other random appearances he'd make in a given season).
"Nothing, really," Pettitte said. "That's what we were kind of laughing about. We just made it official. Something I've been talking with Hal and the Yankees about the last five years. I'd like to say I have a little more time but I'm still coaching high school baseball [and recently became a grandfather]. But we just decided to make it more official that I'm a part of it now."
Pettitte, who toward the end of his career helped CC Sabathia develop a cutter that has become an essential part of the latter's repertoire, said he was open to doing "whatever the organization feels I could help at. That could be helping in the minors, at the big-league level or in the offseason chatting up potential free agents.
"There's really not a lot of job description," Pettitte said, smiling again. "Really kind of the same deal I've been doing, except we made it official."
