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As the New York Yankees began a round of scouting meetings this week to discuss the future of the team, they know that veteran left-hander Andy Pettitte intends to pitch in 2009, and his intention is to pitch for them.

Sources said on Wednesday that Pettitte's agent, Randy Hendricks, has informed the Yankees of this recently.

No contract for 2009 has been negotiated between the pitcher and the team, but he has made it clear that he wants to play for the Yankees and the Yankees have made it clear that they want Pettitte, who went 14-14 with a 4.54 ERA for New York this season. Pettitte made $16 million last season.

Pettitte, 36, has sometimes felt the pull of retirement, but late this season, as the Yankees played their final games in their home of more than eight decades, he spoke wistfully of wanting to play in the new Yankee Stadium in 2009.

Pettitte is 215-127 in his career, most of which has been played with the Yankees.

Buster Olney is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine.