Just days after acquiring bullpen ace Zach Britton from the Orioles, the New York Yankees turned their attention to the rotation, after days of deliberation the Yankees have finally struck a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays acquiring lefty veteran J.A. Happ for young third baseman, Brandon Drury and prospect Billy McKinney.
The move comes the day after the east rival Boston Red Sox acquired pitcher Nathan Eovaldi from the Rays, both teams are reloading for what should be an exciting playoff push and AL East race going into the final months of the season.
Happ, who is 35, has made his way around the league, bouncing from Philly to Houston, Toronto (2013-2014), Seattle and Pittsburgh before arriving for a second stint in Toronto in 2016. Happ is only a rental but could pay dividends for the Yankees who are fighting with the Red Sox for the AL East title. The lefty has pitched well within the division especially against the Red Sox who against Happ are hitting a combined .209 with 51 strikeouts.
As far as this season goes Happ boasts a 10-6 record with a 4.16 ERA and 133 strikeouts recorded thus far. He will be placed into a rotation that already consists of Severino, Tanaka, Sabathia, and Gray…. with spot starters German and Cessa. The move adds a strong arm to the back of the bullpen, while also adding another veteran presence to a young ball club.
The Trade Deadline comes up on Tuesday, July, 31st.. so stay tuned for any other notable trades soon to come.
