MLB trade rumors: Yankees, Phillies battle for Blue Jays’ J.A. Happ?

by Felix Pantaleón

Toronto Blue Jays veteran pitcher J.A. Happ could be a key acquisition for a contender before the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31, 2018 (7/31/18). Yankees GM Brian Cashman is in the market for a starter after losing Jordan Montgomery and Masahiro Tanaka to the disabled list.

A former Phillies lefty could be most important southpaw dealt to a contender at the upcoming MLB trade deadline.

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But it’s not the one you think.

Yes, Texas Rangers’ Cole Hamels will likely be dealt. But his former teammate in Philadelphia, J.A. Happ, is currently looming as the better option for teams in need of a top-of-the-rotation arm.

And according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe, six teams could be in the mix for Happ–including the Yankees and Phillies.

Happ may become one of the most popular targets on the trade market. He will be a free agent at the end of the season, and he’ll be owed about $5 million for the rest of the year if he’s dealt in July. This is seen as a bargain. You could see a few NL West teams (Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Rockies) being interested as well as the Yankees, Braves, and Phillies.

Entering play on June 11, Happ 35, owns a 3.71 ERA across 13 starts. That includes a 3.42 FIP and career-high 10.4 SO/9. With a walk rate of just 2.5 per nine innings, Happ owns a SO/BB over 4.00. The veteran has exhibited a combination of command, control and strikeout ability that can play in any park or race.

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Meanwhile, Hamels‘ 5.37 FIP makes his current ERA of 3.86 feels like fool’s gold. Unless something changes, Happ feels like the better play for a Yankees team looking to add one more arm for a run at a title or a Phillies team that could need one more arm for depth over a 162-game season.

Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.