While George Steinbrenner never seemed to appreciate Andy Pettitte, few believed he would part ways with the Yankees as a free agent this off-season. However, few knew how much he was interested in playing near his home. Pettitte grew up in the Houston area and now lives in a Houston suburb with his family, and in order to sign with the Astros, he chose to walk away from the monetary benefits and personal glory attached to re-signing with the Yankees.

Yesterday, the Astros signed Pettitte to a three-year, $31.5M contract. The breakdown of the deal makes it even more attractive for Houston, as he'll receive $5.5M in 2004 and $8.5M in 2005. In 2006, when the Astros commitments to other high salaried players have expired, his salary will jump to $17.5M, but he's even agreed to defer $7.5M of that money until 2008. Considering he made approximately $11.5M in 2003, Houston received a sizeable hometown discount. Pettitte does receive some financial relief by signing with the Astros, as Texas has no state income tax.