NEW YORK (AP)- Andy Pettitte is likely to decide by Friday whether to stay in New York or sign with the Astros, and the Yankees think there’s a good chance he might bolt for his hometown team.

Pettitte was on the verge of an agreement with the Astros, but the Yankees still planned to make another offer to Randy and Alan Hendricks, the agents for the 21-game winner, a baseball official said on the condition of anonymity.

“There is no deal,” Randy Hendricks said in an e-mail message. “I believe it will be resolved by the end of Friday.”

Astros owner Drayton McLane and general manager Gerry Hunsicker did not return telephone calls seeking comment. The Houston Chronicle reported on its Web site Wednesday that Pettitte already has passed a physical for the Astros.

The Yankees believe Pettitte would take less money to pitch for the Astros, who play near his home in the Houston area. But Pettitte also is close to New York manager Joe Torre and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre. Pettitte, 31, is 149-78 with the Yankees, who signed him in 1991. If he stays in New York he would have the chance to surpass Whitey Ford’s 236 victories and become the winningest left-hander in Yankees history.

And given the Yankees’ success – they’ve made the playoffs for nine straight years, winning six AL pennants and four World Series – he could compile enough wins to become a Hall of Fame candidate. He has been a fan favorite for several seasons.

“There’s no doubt about it that all that stuff comes into play,” he said during the World Series. “I mean, this place is special.”

With the Astros, he would join a team trying to rebuild and win at the same time. Houston dealt closer Billy Wagner to Philadelphia last month in a cost-cutting move, but McLane says the team’s resources are limited.

He would combine with Wade Miller and Roy Oswalt to form a powerful front three in the rotation.