NEW YORK — Andy Pettitte and the Yankees agreed Monday to a $5.5 million, one-year contract that brings the left-hander back to New York.

Pettitte can make an additional $6.5 million on performance bonuses and bonuses based on time on the active roster.

"There was never another team brought up," Pettitte said during a conference call. "I wanted to come back to the Yankees."

He joins a starting rotation that already includes CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain. The deal raised the Yankees' projected opening-day payroll to $196.8 million for 17 players with agreements.

Late last year, New York had offered a deal that would have guaranteed Pettitte $10 million, down from the $16 million he earned last year. New York withdrew that offer after it agreed to a $180 million, eight-year deal with Mark Teixeira.

"If in fact Andy does in 2009 what he's done before, he'll actually make more money," said Pettitte's agent, Randy Hendricks.

Pettitte pitched for the Yankees from 1995-2003, helping them win four World Series titles, then spent three seasons with his hometown Houston Astros. He returned to the Yankees in 2007 and was 14-14 with a 4.54 ERA last season, his highest ERA since 1999.

Pitching with a sore shoulder, he was 2-7 with a 6.23 ERA in his final 11 starts and missed his last turn of the season.