updated 2:49 p.m. ET Dec. 9, 2006

HOUSTON - Andy Pettitte says he moved from Houston back to New York because the Yankees put on a “full-court press” and the Astros showed signs they were ready to move on without him.

Pettitte and the Yankees reached a preliminary agreement Friday on a $16 million, one-year contract, a deal that reunites the two-time All-Star with the team he helped win four World Series titles.

The deal includes a $16 million player option for 2008 that Pettitte’s agent, Randy Hendricks, said Pettitte would not exercise if he were hurt and unable to play.

Many fans in Houston had hoped Pettitte would extend his three-year stay with his hometown club. Pettitte and Hendricks said they offered to play for the Astros for $14 million, but that the Astros would offer no more than $12 million and balked at the second-year option.

Pettitte said Saturday he was surprised the Astros wouldn’t bridge the gap between the two proposals.

“It shocked me that (the Astros) would not continue to go up, when the Yankees continued to push and push and pursue and they (the Astros) really didn’t do much,” he said. “It was a full-court press by the Yankees. I’ve talked to the guys, and obviously they wanted me to come back up there.”

Houston was on the verge of obtaining pitcher Jon Garland from the Chicago White Sox earlier this week for outfielder Willy Taveras, pitchers Taylor Buchholz and Jason Hirsh, a move Pettitte said made it clear the Astros had written him off.

“You’ve got to figure that was a pretty good sign that they were going to move on,” Pettitte said in a news conference at the Battleground Country Club.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Pain on the skating rink, flying high on the hardwood, upsets on the football field, and more. more photos

Pettitte’s defection to the Yankees intensified speculation that close friend, former Yankees and Astros teammate Roger Clemens, would join him in back in New York. But Pettitte said he had not talked with Clemens about his decision.

“I haven’t talked with Roger one time during these negotiations,” Pettitte said. “I don’t know what Roger’s going to do. I worry about what Andy Pettitte has to do, and then go from there. ... What he does is his decision.”

MORE FROM BASEBALL

Baseball Section Front

MLB offseason no longer a time to rest Jays sign SS Gonzalez to 1-year deal CTB: ‘Voice of the Yankees’ officially retires   Sosa sued for $203,000 in Dominican court Opinion: Who needs Roy Halladay the most? CTB: Red Sox putting on press for Halladay CTB: Andruw Jones a great pickup for White Sox Complete list of free agents Circling the Bases: Blogging on news, rumors, buzz SCORES, SCHEDULES, STANDINGS, STATS Baseball Section Front   Add Baseball headlines to your news reader: