Pettitte spurns Yankees, signs with Astros

NEW YORK -- Andy Pettitte chose home over history, agreeing Thursday to sign with the Houston Astros and leave the New York Yankees.\nNew York wasted little time in trying to land a replacement, closing in on a trade with Los Angeles that would send Kevin Brown to the Yankees for Jeff Weaver in a swap of starters, said a baseball official on the condition of anonymity.\nPettitte accepted Houston's heavily backloaded $31.5 million, three-year deal after weighing a new offer from the Yankees Wednesday night, said another baseball source, also on the condition of anonymity.\nHe took $7.5 million less to sign with the Astros, said both sources. The Astros play near Pettitte's hometown of Deer Park, an important factor for the pitcher's family.\n"They really wanted me here," Pettitte said. "My heart started pulling me and tugging me to come back down here and play in front of the Astros and the Houston fans."\nPettitte will get $5.5 million next season, $8.5 million in 2005 and $17.5 million in 2006, according to contract details obtained by The Associated Press.\nIn other baseball news Thursday, catcher Benito Santiago completed his $4.3 million, two-year contract with Kansas City. Among players eligible for arbitration, left-hander Mark Buehrle and the Chicago White Sox agreed to an $18 million, three-year deal. Seattle settled on an $11 million, three-year contract with outfielder Randy Winn and a two-year deal with right-hander Ryan Franklin.\nOn Wednesday, Detroit agreed to a $6 million, two-year contract with second baseman Fernando Vina. Colorado agreed to a $2.1 million, one-year deal with third baseman Vinny Castilla, and Texas replaced Rafael Palmeiro by agreeing to a $1 million, one-year contract with Brad Fullmer.\nPittsburgh settled on minor-league contracts with outfielder Daryle Ward and right-hander Juan Acevedo.\nThe New York Mets finalized their $20.1 million, three-year contract with shortstop Kazuo Matsui, and San Diego completed a two-year contract with reliever Akinori Otsuka, a deal worth just under $2 million.\nIn Texas, general manager John Hart sounded doubtful the Rangers would pull off the big-money trade that would send AL MVP Alex Rodriguez to Boston for Manny Ramirez. Hart said he and Texas manager Buck Showalter said "many, many times" they envision Rodriguez staying with the Rangers.\n"We've been saying all along this thing has taken on a life of its own and has been a runaway fire," Hart said.\nAround the major leagues, teams prepare for the start of the winter meetings Friday in New Orleans.\n"I think the first thing we're going to do, is we're going to find out where the Yankees and Red Sox are staying and go hang around their rooms and see if somebody drops their wallet," said Doug Melvin, general manager of the low-budget Milwaukee Brewers. "I think they're going to dominate the meetings, the Yankees and Red Sox, the A-Rod thing."\nGiants general manager Brian Sabean believes the winter meetings could be quiet for most teams.