MLB
Happ-less: Why the Yankees Should DFA J.A. Happ
On July 26, 2018, the Yankees acquired a starting pitcher for the third straight year by adding Blue Jays southpaw J.A. Happ in exchange for infielder Brandon Drury and outfielder Billy McKinney.
In his first year in pinstripes, Happ was phenomenal. He posted a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts, went 7-0 and had a K/BB ratio of 63/16.
However, after signing a 2-year deal with the Yankees last offseason, Happ has undermined what has holistically been an outstanding 2019 season for the Bombers.
Happ’s Horrible 2019 Campaign
In his age-36 season, Happ’s 5.23 ERA ranks 71st in baseball out of 76 qualifiers. He’s already given up 23 home runs; last year, he only surrendered 27 over the course of a full season.
In addition, Happ has an FIP—fielding independent pitching that only includes walks, strikeouts, hits by pitch, and home runs—of 5.30 and a WHIP of 1.335.
All of the aforementioned stats have been porous, but let’s take a deeper delve into Happ’s mediocrity in 2019.
Happ’s Haphazard Season
Happ has posted 5 quality starts out of 20 outings. Against opponents that the Yankees may face in October—like the Red Sox, Rays, Twins and Astros—Happ has gone 5-1 but has lasted an average of around 4.2 innings.
I understand that Happ has had flashes of brilliance. Against the Angels and Giants—both on the road—Happ went 7 innings and gave up no more than 2 earned runs.
In fact, Happ had hurled the ball well recently—that is, until his performance against the Twins on Wednesday. The Northwestern product allowed a maximum of 2 runs against the Rays, Blue Jays, and Rockies in his last 3 appearances. But then everything went downhill.
At Target Field, Happ couldn’t even make it out of the 4th inning. Although his team had scored 9 runs, Happ permitted the Twins to make things interesting and roar back with 2 home runs and 6 runs total.
Happ’s last start was, arguably, his litmus test. No Yankee starter flourished in Minnesota, but his past subpar outing should indicate to Brian Cashman that it’s time for the Happ experiment to end.
Scenario #1: DFA Happ After Trading for a Pitcher
With the trade deadline looming in just 6 days, the Yankees have indicated that they are looking to bolster their rotation by adding a starting pitcher. New York’s current rotation consists of Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, Domingo German, Happ, and C.C. Sabathia; the addition of a starter would likely leave someone the odd man out.
Let’s say that the Yankees trade for a starter without control, like San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner. In that case, the Yankees would have a 2019 rotation of Tanaka, Bumgarner, Paxton, German, and Sabathia assuming that they would DFA Happ. That is much stronger than their prior 2019 rotation iterations.
What if the Yankees lure a pitcher under control, like the Blue Jays’ Marcus Stroman or Cleveland’s Trevor Bauer? In that case, it makes even more sense to move on from Happ. With ace Luis Severino presumably returning in September and standout Jordan Montgomery coming back in 2020 (or sooner), the Yanks would have a rotation of Severino, Tanaka, Stroman/Bauer, Paxton, and German (Sabathia will retire) not to mention Montgomery.
Scenario #2: DFA Happ Despite Not Adding a Pitcher
But you may ask: What if New York doesn’t make any moves at the trade deadline? Here’s why it’s still coherent to cut ties with Happ.
The Yankees should not rush back the previously mentioned Severino. However, in the interim, their rotation could consist of Tanaka, Paxton, German, Sabathia, and a bullpen game. In fact, the Yankees are 8-0 when using “openers” and following with relievers out of the pen. Long relievers Nestor Cortes, Jr., David Hale and Luis Cessa have all shone and helped to assuage some incredibly short starts.
Regardless of Severino, the Yankees could also call up flamethrowing 20-year-old Deivi Garcia in September, when rosters will expand to 40 players. Additionally, pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga, who has looked promising in 2 seasons, should be rehabilitated and ready to pitch relatively soon.
Heading into Spring Training, the Yankees’ pitching corps would appear as such: Severino, Tanaka, Paxton, German, and Montgomery. If the Yankees feel that is not potent enough, they could pursue premier arms via free agency such as Gerrit Cole or Jake Odorizzi.
Some Yankees fans may, understandably, feel that this is a bit harsh for a guy who was excellent last year. But here’s the problem: who would trade for a 36-year-old pitcher? On top of that, Happ has no options—he can’t be sent down to the minor leagues.
Moreover, it’s not aberrational for abysmal pitchers to be designated for assignment. Matt Harvey of the Angels and Blake Parker of the Twins—the latter of whom the Yankees dominated on Tuesday—are just some recent precedents.
At this point in the year, the Yankees have given Happ more than enough opportunities to prove himself; he’s been inconsistent at best. With the postseason looming, the Yankees need to truly be firing on all cylinders—I just don’t see how Happ enables them to do that.
Written by Bradley Locker
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Photo credit to Mike Carey via Flickr.
