MLB
JA Happ Traded To The Yankees
So if you read my trade deadline article, you would’ve known that I said that the Yankees should go after a starting pitcher to back up Luis Severino. Well, maybe the Yankees read that, because they have traded for All-Star starter JA Happ from the Toronto Blue Jays, in exchange for Brandon Drury and Billy McKinney. This is a perfect trade for the Yankees. The starters besides Severino have really dropped the ball this season. Happ will be instantly be put into the #2 spot in the rotation. This was a concern for the Yankees as they would be in trouble in October if Severino wasn’t starting. Now, Happ can very easily fit in and have a major impact.
Happ this season
Happ has supported a 4.18 ERA this season. Not great, but that can be improved. The stat that I like is the 130 K’s that he has gotten. He has constantly kept runners off base. The 35-year-old has produced his best year this year and will be riding that hot hand into the Bronx. JA Happ uses the fastball well and he has great control. A change of teams could be good for him. Coming to a contending team can help JA Happ a lot. He will be a valuable piece in October for the Yankees.
Yankees in the Playoffs
If the Yankees are a wild card team, they would start Severino there, and then it could be Happ in game one of the ALDS. He would either face Chris Sale or another ace. I like my chances with Happ rather than Masahiro Tanaka or Sonny Gray. This makes the Yankees a much better team in a 7 game series.
The Blue Jays
I agree with the idea of trading Happ. He is 35 and it was a good idea to get something in return for him. Brandon Drury and Billy McKinney will be good pieces for the Toronto rebuild. They are building for the future and that is a good idea.
