Buhner Dot Com Est. 2000, which is like 1947 in Internet years.

Panic? Nah, the Yanks never do that.

Sure, it's easy to look at the Yankees right now and assume that they're in full panic mode. It's fun to think that George Steinbrenner is yelling at everyone in his employ right now because he didn't get his way.

But let's not get carried away.

Andy Pettitte is a good left-handed pitcher, but he isn't exactly Whitey Ford. As I said in my blueprint for the Yankees offseason, it would be good for Andy Pettitte to remain a Yankee, but the team had to be careful not to overspend for him. The team almost did overspend for him, reportedly offering him something in the range of $13 million a year to stay in the Bronx.

While Pettitte didn't take the bait (and I really didn't think he ever intended on re-signing with New York, and I think, deep down inside, the Yankees believed that too), the Yankees then went ahead and agreed to a trade that would bring Kevin Brown over to New York for Jeff Weaver, two unnamed minor league players, and $3 million.

Despite what Andy Pettitte or the Houston Astros would like you to believe, Pettitte isn't worth $13 million a year, or even $10 million a year. He's got a career ERA around 4, has only led the AL in a statistical catagory twice (wins in 1996 and games started in 1997), and only came close to winning the Cy Young Award once in his career, eight years ago (losing to Pat Hentgen and finishing above middle reliever Mariano Rivera, who came in third).

When Pettitte is discussed by those supporting him, two things are brought up; the fact that he wins games, and that he's a machine in the postseason. Winning games is reliant directly on the team that surrounds him. Chris George of the the Royals managed to win nine games in 18 starts despite having a 7.11 ERA. Would he be classified as a winner? Can Chris George walk into an arbitration hearing and explain to the judge that it was purely his ability that allowed the Royals to win games by scoring massive amounts of runs during games that he pitched, despite the fact that George, as an American League pitcher, doesn't get to bat (and therefore contribute to the offensive outburst) and when he is on the field, allow a run for every four outs the opposing team makes?

This isn't to say that Pettitte was as bad as Chris George was last year, not by a longshot. But no one was talking about offering George $13 million a year, either. While Pettitte's 21 wins led the Yankees last season, one could easily argue that he wasn't the #1 starter in the Yankees rotation last year. In fact, one could argue that Pettitte was the Yankees _fourth_ starter last season, behind Mike Mussina, Roger Clemens, and Jose Contreras, all of whom had better ERAs than Pettitte. With Mussina and Contreras returning and the retiring Clemens' spot replaced by Javier Vazquez (who by far was a better and more dominating pitcher than Pettitte last season), the Yankees were left with the possibility of giving $13 million dollars to a 4th starter.

The Yankees are, however, giving $15 million to a 4th starter, it would seem, by aquiring Kevin Brown from Los Angeles. While Brown is going to be 39 years old during the 2004 season, he's had an ERA over 3 once in the last eight seasons; in 2002, where he struggled with an injury.

Brown's contract may be cumbersome and a relic of the free-spending past, one forgets a key part of this deal: Jeff Weaver.

While I've been a supporter of Weaver (and felt that he's a much better pitcher than he showed last year), getting rid of Weaver (and his contract) can be looked as nothing more than a positive. While getting out of New York and into the pitchers paradise that is Chavez Ravine expects to do wonders for Weaver, trading him for a bowl of soup would heva been in the Yankees best interest. Getting a All-Star caliber pitcher out of the deal is only a bonus. Factoring in Weaver's contract (which also lasts for two more years) and the money New York is sending to LA to complete the deal, Brown will cost the Yankees $11.75 million in 2004 and $5.75 million in 2005.

A little less shocking now, isn't it?

The loss off Pettitte, understandibly, was a shock to Yankee fans. This wasn't one of the playes that the Yankees picked up in a trade or free agency that decided to leave. Pettitte has only played in the Yankees system his entire career, and has pitched for the Yanks since 1995, having come up as a 23 year old and establishing himself in the Yankees rotation that season, just in time for the Yankees rise to dynasty-level. Pettitte, just like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, and to a lesser extent Jorge Posada and Bernie Williams, are the Yankees that were developed in the Yankee system which brought the team to the level where it could pull itself out of the quagmire that was the late 80s-early 90s and regain the Yankee legacy.

But emotional ties have to be cut eventually, and reality has to set in. Who you like and who makes your team better can be two different things, and in these moves, the Yankees are coming off a lot smarter than everyone wants to think they are.