After all the talk of going after big-name aces like Corey Kluber or Noah Syndergaard, the New York Yankees made their second, and possibly last, move regarding a starting rotation that was their top priority this offseason.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal first reported on Wednesday morning that the Yankees have agreed to a three-year deal with veteran left-handed pitcher JA Happ to seemingly round out their starting five. He quickly walked it back, claiming that a deal is close, but not completed.
Happ was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays last season at the trade deadline by the Yankees and immediately became one of their most valuable arms down the stretch. While staff ace Luis Severino struggled mightily, Happ provided some stability toward the top of the rotation, going 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts. It made him an attractive, low-cost free-agent option heading into the offseason and he received plenty of attention throughout the process.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported on Tuesday that Happ’s representation was in contact with the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and Toronto Blue Jays.
The biggest roadblock when it came to Happ’s signing was the 36-year-old’s desire for a three-year contract. Most teams, including the Yankees for a time, were only willing to go two years.
General manager Brian Cashman might have been inclined to add that extra year after the Yankees basically came up empty on all their other pitching targets. After acquiring James Paxton from the Seattle Mariners, the Yankees lost out on Patrick Corbin and Nathan Eovaldi over the past week while a sudden push for Syndergaard during negotiations with the Mets and Miami Marlins came up empty.
New York was also linked to a possible trade for Kluber but it looks as though the Cincinnati Reds are the favorites to land him at the moment, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi.
Happ’s expected reintroduction to the rotation does give the Yankees an improved starting five compared to last year as they look to mount an even more serious bid at the American League pennant. Now with a lefty-heavy staff, here is what their rotation might look like come Opening Day 2019:
Yankees projected 2019 starting rotation
Luis Severino
2018 stats: 19-8, 3.39 ERA, 220 K’s, 191.1 IP
2019 projected stats: 14-8, 3.26 ERA, 220 K’s, 193 IP
James Paxton
2018 stats (with Mariners): 11-6, 3.76 ERA, 208 K’s, 160.1 IP
2019 projected stats: 11-7, 3.42 ERA, 193 K’s, 163 IP
Masahiro Tanaka
2018 stats: 12-6, 3.75 ERA, 159 K’s, 156 IP
2019 projected stats: 11-8, 3.93 ERA, 164 K’s, 167 IP
JA Happ
2018 stats (with Blue Jays, Yankees): 17-6, 3.65 ERA, 193 K’s, 177.2 IP
2019 projected stats: 11-9, 3.84 ERA, 181 K’s, 178 IP
CC Sabathia
2018 stats: 9-7, 3.65 ERA, 140 K’s, 153 IP
2019 projected stats: 8-9, 4.34 ERA, 124 K’s, 143 IP
Projections courtesy of Rotochamp.com
