Pettitte returns to Yankees for one year

Once Andy Pettitte decided he wanted to pitch, it didn’t take him long to get a contract – with the New York Yankees.

Pettitte bolted from his hometown Houston Astros back to his old team Friday, reaching a preliminary agreement on a $16 million, one-year contract. Could Roger Clemens follow his buddy back to New York?

“Roger has yet to decide what he wants to do,” Randy Hendricks, the agent for both pitchers, said in an e-mail to the Associated Press. “He has, however, followed the events with Andy and the Astros very carefully.”

Pettitte’s agreement with the Yankees includes a $16 million player option for 2008. His agent said Pettitte would not exercise the option if he were hurt and unable to play.

Pettitte must pass a physical for the deal to be finalized. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman confirmed the preliminary agreement but declined further comment.

•Reliever Octavio Dotel agreed to a $5 million, one-year contract with Kansas City, which also agreed to a $4 million, two-year deal with left-hander John Bale.

•San Francisco agreed to a $3.5 million, two-year contract to keep left-hander Steven Kline, and St. Louis gave right-hander Russ Springer a $1.75 million, one-year deal.

•Third baseman Brandon Inge, who would have been eligible for free agency after next season, agreed to a $24 million, four-year contract with the American League champion Detroit Tigers.

•The Los Angeles Dodgers finalized a $47 million, three-year contract with right-hander Jason Schmidt and a $7.35 million, one-year deal with outfielder Luis Gonzalez, agreements struck during the winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Barry Bonds, Schmidt’s old San Francisco teammate, gave him a call.

“He’s like, ‘You’re leaving me? I can’t believe you’re leaving me,’ ” Schmidt said. “I told him, ‘I have to.’ We had fun with it. We got to be pretty good friends while I was in San Francisco.”

Late Thursday night, Bonds and the Giants reached a preliminary agreement on a $16 million, one-year contract.

“I’m seeing guys sign for stupid amounts of money and they’re not even premier players,” San Francisco shortstop Omar Vizquel said. “They’re average. You see a guy like Barry Bonds who’s been in the record books forever and is an MVP, he’s going to get paid.”

•Across San Francisco Bay, catcher Mike Piazza finalized an $8.5 million, one-year deal to take over from Frank Thomas as Oakland’s designated hitter.

“Swinging the bat, I’ll do what I do: be a complete hitter and be a veteran in the lineup,” said Piazza, who had spent his entire big league career in the National League. “I am going to get more at-bats this year … but ultimately my job is to go out and be a good, solid presence on this team, swing the bat as best I can.”

•Baltimore has reached an oral agreement on a two-year deal with Oakland free agent Jay Payton, who will become the team’s only right-handed-hitting outfielder.

Former Indians get deals

Former Spokane Indians first baseman Ken Harvey and Minnesota agreed to a minor-league contract.

An All-Star in 2004 with Kansas City, Harvey didn’t play in the majors last season after a bad back limited him to just 12 games in 2005.

He had two decent years for the Royals, batting .287 with 13 homers and 55 RBIs in 456 at-bats over 120 games in his second full major-league season, 2004. Harvey will have a chance to win the designated hitter spot for the Twins.

•Right-handed reliever Mike MacDougal, who also played for Spokane, and the Chicago White Sox agreed to a $6.45 million, three-year contract.

MacDougal was eligible for salary arbitration this winter and free agency following the 2009 season. He gets salaries of $1.5 million in 2007, $1.95 million in 2008 and $2.65 million in 2009, and Chicago has a $3.75 million option for 2010 with a $350,000 buyout.

The 29-year-old right-hander was 1-1 with a 1.55 ERA and one save in 29 relief appearances with Kansas City and the White Sox.