MLB trade rumors: Yankees chasing Blue Jays’ J.A. Happ as ‘front-runners’ with NL contender

by Felix Pantaleón

The Toronto Blue Jays are looking to trader left-hander J.A. Happ before the July 31, 2018 (7/31/18) non-waiver deadline. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is looking to upgrade his starting rotation, and Happ may be one of the best options on the trade market.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is all-in for the 2018 season.

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On Tuesday, he acquired reliever Zach Britton from the Baltimore Orioles, adding a plus-arm to what could be the best bullpen in baseball.

However that didn’t address the Yankees’ biggest need: starting pitching.

Despite trading three prospects for Britton, Cashman remains engaged on finding an arm for the rotation.

At this point, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reports Cashman is locking in on Toronto Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ:

Toronto was continuing to negotiate with multiple teams Wednesday night with the industry belief that the Yankees and Brewers were the front-runners. The Cubs were said to have checked in on fellow Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman and also might be in play for Happ.

That would seem to back up what MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported Wednesday night:

Yankees still appear to be the leader in the race for J.A. Happ, but other teams remain engaged with Blue Jays. Brewers & Cubs still in play, though 1-2 more may also be in the mix. Toronto may not get its initial high asking price, but the heavy competition should benefit Jays.

Starting pitching market analysis

At one point, Happ was atop Cashman’s wish list. And why not? The southpaw was on the American League pitching staff for the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. But Happ has lost three of his last four starts to fall to 10-6 with a 4.18 ERA in 20 starts this season.

According to Spotrac, Happ is making $13 million this season, after which the 35-year-old will become a free agent.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.