There was quite a lot of chatter yesterday surrounding Blue Jays lefty J.A. Happ, with a run of rumors that certainly suggests negotiations are building toward a conclusion. The Toronto organization has seemingly decided it’d rather move Happ now than let him take the ball this weekend, and Jon Heyman of Fancred tweets that the team is sending that message to interested rivals.
We’ll use this post to track today’s developments on the veteran southpaw, a pure rental player who’s earning $13MM this year:
- The Yankees appear to be zeroing in on Happ. The club is said by Sherman (Twitter links) to be “getting closer” to a deal structured around Drury. Jon Heyman of Fancred has it even closer to the finish line, tweeting that the Yanks and Jays are working to finalize a swap.
Earlier Updates
- As of this morning, it seems there are still multiple organizations in the mix. Largely reflecting the state of play last night, as reported by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Bob Nightengale of USA Today suggests on Twitter that the Brewers and Yankees are still the two likeliest landing spots, with the Cubs also still “in the mix.”
- Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets that, as Sherman also previously suggested, infielder Brandon Drury has arisen in talks between the division-rival Jays and Yanks. That “could lead to [an] expanded deal,” Rosenthal notes, with the Yankees perhaps also eyeing some catching depth. New York GM Brian Cashman said yesterday that he’s open to bolstering his group of receivers with Gary Sanchez on the shelf. The phrasing of the report doesn’t really appear to suggest that high-priced veteran (and former Yankee) Russell Martin is a target. The more obvious candidate seems to be reserve Luke Maile, who has been a solid performer this year in Toronto, though there’s no direct reporting to establish any particular connection.
Russianblue
The Yankees haven’t acquired Happ yet? Come on now Cash Money!
eileenyanks
Official now Russian Blue
steelerbravenation
Why do we not hear about the Yankees pursuing Danny Duffy why are they wasting their time with Happ
KnicksFanCavsFan
Because Duffy is having a bad year, pitching primarily in a park that limits hrs and he’s owed 3/$45 beyond this season? Happ is a FA at the end of the year.
richdanna
Per MLBTradeRumors yesterday:
“While Moustakas is a near-certain trade piece, the same is not true of Royals teammate Danny Duffy. Nightengale tweets that the organization has “no intention” of striking a deal involving its top starter. That’s really not terribly surprising, as Duffy has not been in top form this year. On the other hand, the southpaw has been on a much better run of late. Since taking the hill on May 24th, he has allowed just twenty earned runs over 69 2/3 innings. Duffy is earning $14MM this year with $46MM guaranteed over the ensuing three campaigns.”
arc89
Can’t blame KC because Duffy’s trade value is way low. Give him time to turn around the season rest of the year and they can get some value out of him in the off season.
rit2940
I agree would rather have Duffy
Polymath
Happ for Happ?
Mikel Grady
Ian Happ? If so heck no. Ian Happ career>Happ 2 month rental .
Polymath
I can’t believe people took that seriously. I guess I should have said:
Does Happ for Happ not happening make you happy?
ronnsnow
Not Happening
ncaachampillini
You can’t mean Ian Happ do you? No way. If Happ is involved it needs to be for a much better pitcher than J.A. Ian I believe is like #6 .OBP in baseball (might be a few PA short of qualifying I suppose).
Ian Happ, Mike Montgomery, Alzoyay and Caratini for DeGrom? Happ is controllable for like 6 years, Montgomery like 4, Alzoyay forever. Caratini/Bote/whomever as a 4th piece is fine.
Mets would say swap out Happ for Baez and deal is done. Cubs would say no.
Mets would say make it then Happ, Russell and Montgomery and it’s a done deal. Cubs would say no to that.
There is a matchup there somewhere though…
ray_derek
Ian Happ is extreamly overrated, I can’t wait until they trade him away
justinept
I’ll take a guy who has a career .850 ops with 36 hole runs in his first 700 plate appearances over a rental.
ray_derek
congrats to you, but i don’t want a .250 hitter who strikes out more than once every 3 at bats.
Mikel Grady
So over half of major league hitters? He is young , upside is high for him .
justinept
So you want it to be 2006 when that stuff was considered a negative …
ElectricEddie
Bryant for DeGrom straight up
Yankeepride88
Happ has a great OBP, but if qualified, he would be #20.
SuperSinker
He’d also have the highest BABIP in human history
justinept
Babip doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Happ’s quality of contact numbers are elite. He hits the ball hard more than 40% of the time. His batted ball stats are also above average. That explains a lot of his babip
Mikel Grady
He plays first ,second ,third and all outfield spots as well.
KnicksFanCavsFan
The Yanks need more depth at the C position but I’m a little concerned about using Drury for a deal like this. I think he would be nice to keep around for protection to injuries to Andujar and Torres. I do think it’s a but unfair to Drury. I just feel like we should be able to get Happ for a couple of lower level prospects (no top 100 or top 10 org guys). I would be interested to know who else they might look at if the deal is expanded.
eileenyanks
Let’s not forget little Ronald Torreyes has to come back
Great infield back up..
timm-2
Torres and andujar has made it an either drury torreyes or walker discussion with walker not the odd man out because he’s a veteran and they don’t want to eat the money.
It also means that if they believe in andujar and Torres and they aren’t being moved you can consider drury surplus and use toe more.
That said they better be sure happ is the answer. If you sacrifice drury and happ is a miss it was throwing away a good young player. If happ is a hit then it’s an acceptable loss
KnicksFanCavsFan
Let me clarify. I’d rather not move him THIS SEASON unless he’s PART of a package to get a top starter. I’m not saying he could center a package tho. I would like to hold on to him just in case someone gets injured (hopefully that won’t happen). Keep him thru the season and trade him in the offseason, unless something big is coming back and he’s part of the outgoing package.
ThePriceWasRight
then you have no clue. Yes Happ is a rental but not even willing to give up a top 10 team prospect. Lol yanks fans. we have tons of money to buy anyone but we don’t want to do that, we want to build our team and when we trade just give up the guys who likely won’t ever play for us or in the majors.
KnicksFanCavsFan
You can laugh all you want but we have a good system and we have near future needs. A #10 guy in our system might be a #5 in another system. So yeah. Happ is not a FOR starter.
Yarpyarp
Oh my God. Yankees fans driving me nuts on here. The ask is Sheffield or Frazier and apparently the yanks are balking at that. Drury is potential alternative but that won’t be enough.
chino31
Ain’t happening. Jays want sheff? They need to include more.
jolink65
Wouldn’t matter unless the Jays are looking to offer someone like Stroman in order to get Sheffield. Cashman named Sheffield as one of the untouchables in the system. Obviously no one is untouchable, but the asking price for Sheffield would be extremely high.
higgy2020
I don’t even think happ is worth drury
juniorfelix
I would bet, if given the choice of either side of that deal, 30 out of 30 GMs would take Happ over Drury today.
Yarpyarp
Yup, can’t reason with a yankee fan. Remember how valuable Refsnyeder was according to them?
KnicksFanCavsFan
So I can point to a time where Casey Kelly was untouchable according o Red Sox fans.. I can point to a time where Kyle Drabek was the best thing to come out of Canada next to maple syrup and William Shatner. Your point?
eileenyanks
They should really rest Sanchez until November..
Another back up catcher would be great, plus of course a lefty starter like Happ. Hamels is toast!!
Cash is one stop shopping. I like that!!
KnicksFanCavsFan
Haha….why would they want to rest one of the games best C if he can return and says he’s 100% and ready to play? Aside, from the low BA he’s currently tied with the most hrs for a C and his defensive liabilities are widely over stated. He’s definitely got issues with passed balls but has other positives defensively. Plus I don’t think that would do anything for his psyche.
thegreatcerealfamine
“They should rest Sanchez until November” where is this person coming from. I’ve been harsh on Sanchez’s defense in the past, but to suggest benching a bat that can run into some playoff dingers is nuts. Even if they were to choose to sit him as a backup C/DH he’s way more valuable then the other answers.
chino31
Time to DH Sanchez. Yanks should platoon Hicks and Gardner at center and start playing Stanton in left. Sanchez will heat up with the bat while not playing a arduous position at catcher.
eileenyanks
chino, good idea for a while.
KnicksFanCavsFan
The idea of limiting Hicks to a platoon is ridiculous. Here’s a CF that’s top 5 in mlb in WAR who seems to be manifesting the talent that everyone’s been waiting for and he’s cheep and you want to make him a part-time player? Sanchez needs to stay behind the plate and just work on his weaknesses. If he has any pride then the recent events and all the criticism should inspire him to be the best he can be. He’s not a total negative behind the plate as much as some want to make him out to be. Look up his numbers,
eileenyanks
Knicks, and the Great Cereal,
You guys on here have zero
senses of humor, plus it is hysterical the replies I get when I post, just because I am female, lmao.
No gal I see is allowed to post anything.. and all of you think you know more than each other..I post in peace guys..
65 years I am watching tons of players come and go.
Gary Sanchez has the best arm I have ever seen in my life, but he is not the best hitter on that team, He doesn’t even care he is chunky, out of shape, lazy, can’t block a freakin ball, or hustle. That is where I am coming from, so
CHILL GUYS..
freedom of the post
Enjoy all your teams, we are in this together
MetsYankeesRedSox
My first game EVER in person, Mantle hits a pinch hit walk off against the Tigers in ’66.
Great memory for a ten year old kid.
eileenyanks
awesome memory for me too
glad you have it
KnicksFanCavsFan
I promise my dislike of your post and your insane suggestion that Sanchez sit out until November had nothing to do with being a woman. Didn’t even bother to look at your name to be honest. We are equal opp rosters here.
Welcome to our world. No harm intended as well.
PopeMarley
lofl, what bonafide Yankees fan would post something like this?
eileenyanks
Pope,
uh, maybe a fed up one..
ronnsnow
I dont understand why the Pirates arent in on Happ. He was phenomenal for them in 2015 and wont cost any top prospects to acquire.
arc89
Drury is like the ugly friend who everyone wants you to date. Come on just go out with her she is great and it will not cost you anything.
KnicksFanCavsFan
You’re making it sound like the Yanks are begging teams to take him. Why wouldn’t a team in need of a 2b or 3b not be interested, unless they feel the migraines are going to have a lasting effect on his play which there’s no indication it would.
thegreatcerealfamine
But right now they definitely are.
ThePriceWasRight
thank you for saying it like it is. drury could be the next refsnyder
thegreatcerealfamine
I never understood the trade to get Drury in the first place. Yea I know that they weren’t sure on the kids, but Moose would have been cheap. Moose would also play better defense then Andujar, hit a ton of Homers in Yankee stadium. Not only the waste of a decent prospect to get Drury they sign Neil Walker…why
KnicksFanCavsFan
Refsnyder never did anything at all. Drury who btw is only 25, has had two solid seasons. Why can’t people distinguish between a player who isn’t playing because they suck vs the circumstance of Drury being “Wally Pipped”? Google it!! He isn’t playing because, while he was on the DL, Andujar and Torres were called up and immediately performed well and left Drury without a place to play. That’s not a negative on him.
arc89
Not yanks but every sports writers put him in a trade rumor. Drury is a utility player not somebody every team would go after. He will most likely be DFA after the season. A team in need of a 2b or 3B would rather go with a upside young player unless just fill the hole until a prospect is ready.
Sheev Palpatine
“most likely be DFA after the season”. Give me a break. You have no idea what your talking about. Obviously the Yankees and Blue Jays front office see something you don’t
KnicksFanCavsFan
Your insane. He is a player that plays more than one position. He isn’t a “utility player” the way that Torryes is. Do people bother to research before they say dumb things like this? Drury was a starter for 2 seasons with the Dbacks. The only reason he isn’t starting now is because of his migraines and Andujar and Torres claiming the 2b and 3b positions while he was on the DL.
ShieldF123
Drury is a young player with upside… moronic post
arc89
He was a throw into the deal. BJ got ripped in the deal. They get a utility player and a 4th outfielder type for a starter. Must say yanks won the deal. Maybe the BJ did this just to cut payroll.
TennVol
Happ and Maile for a package around Drury would be interesting. For those who dont know Maile, he is an exceptionally strong defensive catcher who has always been knocked for his lack of hitting. He dedicated his last off season to improving and he has really turned it around while staying great defensively. If the Jays were going to be competitive at all for the next two years, i would would have wanted the Jays to keep him. But, the Jays have several outstanding catchers in the minors, and one in Jansen who is ready right now, that I think it prudent to trade Maile at this point. At this point Martin is just not a good offensive player any more and only mediocre at best defensively. Maile has outplayed him in every facet of the game this year and has received increased playing time because of it.
juniorfelix
As a Jays fan, I’m not sure why we are interested in Drury as reported. I know Happ isn’t a top of the line starter by any means but it’s a pretty thin market and there seem to be multiple teams interested. Surely they can do better than a deal centered around a soon-to-be 26 year old back up infielder, right?
Anyone care to sell me on the virtues of Drury?
Yankeepride88
He’s cheap, young, controllable, can play multiple positions, and has decent power. He has two solid, not spectacular, seasons with the Dbacks.
Meanwhile, Happ is expensive, old, and a free agent at the end of the year. Blue Jays would like to get someone out of him because they aren’t offering him a qualifying offer.
juniorfelix
Thank you for the explanation.
I guess I would counter that Drury isn’t that young or that powerful (especially when considering where he played his home games at the time). To me, there isn’t much hope he would be part of the next competitive Blue Jays team, so what’s the point? I guess I just think they should be targeting someone younger and more controllable (even if he’s more of a lottery ticket than Drury).
As for Happ, I would argue that his age and his cost are of virtually no significance to the acquiring team given that he’s a rental.
stormie
Totally agree. They have to be able to find something better than Drury for Happ. The Brewers should have far more appealing targets.
jolink65
The post does mention that it’s centered around Drury; that doesn’t mean that Drury would be the only player going back to Toronto. We’d have to wait for the complete details of a finalized trade before we’d be able to see how Toronto would make out.
juniorfelix
Of course, but if he’s the main attraction, I’m likely to be underwhelmed.
ThePriceWasRight
sure but you make it sound like the yanks are the only team bidding. take what we offer because your guy is older. Lol great argument.
summerseason
Cards should trade Carpenter to a contender could get a pretty nice little package back for him from a team in need of infield
ray_derek
what?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
summerseason
They should it would be smart
bobtillman
Yanks are looking for a defensive upgrade from Sanchez…..they’ve asked TV Land about Betty White……
El Duderino
I’d love to see Betty White block home plate on an infield hit only to be trucked. I bet she’d still hold onto the ball too.
eileenyanks
Bob Tillman,
LOLOLOL
eileenyanks
Bob Tillman,
LOLOLOL
ps…now here is a Man with a personality!!
getright11
You two should date
Yekatman
Any rumors as to what the Brewers May be offering??
juniorfelix
There was chatter yesterday that it might be Domingo Santana as he left his AAA game after a couple ABs but nothing else tying him to the deal as far as I know.
Judge Judy
No way Cashman is this dumb. Has to be Blue Jays leaking this info. Drury is worth WAY more than Happ.
Yarpyarp
wrong
thegreatcerealfamine
Judy is not a Yankees fan. Just one of his/her failed trolling jobs.
JaysForDays
Lol. Clearly not. And 28 other gms agree by not trading for him when the Yankees are trying to give the guy away
lokinyc
Why? Hes a left handed sonny gray. Pure trash Yankees AREN’T trying to trade Drury. Cash likes his skill set too much. He ain’t going
srechter
Fellow Yankees fan, buddy. You, unfortunately, are the type of fan that makes it hard for the rest of us Yankees fans to be treated with a grain of respect. Open yourself to other teams, players, and the game at large. You’ll find the world operates much differently outside of the yankee bubble, where player values are often skewed to astronomical proportions by diminutive, short-sighted fans who only focus on their team.
KnicksFanCavsFan
Ok…why would the Yanks want to give him a way? They traded two very good prospects for him in Taylor Widener and Nick Solak. The only reason he isn’t playing is well documented and there names are Andujar and Torres. His name is mentioned for the same reason that Clint Frazier’s name is mentioned and that’s because they are both blocked.
I can’t even take you serious bro. At least learn about the player and the circumstances. The guy is not a bench player just a player blocked and sitting on the bench.
ctguy
Drury isn’t worth that much to the Yankees. He’s a decent player but they have no place for him. I wouldn’t mind seeing him in a deal for Happ. I don’t think Happ is worth dealing Sheffield for though.
Cubbie Steve
I think the Cubs are only “in the mix” to drive up the price on the Brewers. That said, I think the Yankees get him if they want him. The Brewers don’t have the balls to make big boy trades. God knows they never listen to Kato’s excellent advice!
pdubs2907
Ya I mean it’s not like the Brewers traded for Yelich or anything. The Brewers have been wisely restrained during the rebuild, while the Cubs have depleted their farm to win now. Crew are focused on 2019 and beyond.
justinept
…they dealt one guy for a rental. And they won the WS.
The Quintana trade was as much for 2018-2020 as it was for 2017.
The only thing that really depleted the Cubs system is players graduating to the big leagues.
driftcat28 2
I like Happ on NY, but I think Drury too much for a rental. Was hoping mid tier prospects for Happ
stormie
He’s a backup infielder, how could that be too much for an all-star pitcher with over 10K/9?
lokinyc
Why? Hes a left handed sonny gray. Pure trash
srechter
This hurt my brain. Do I really have to do this? Gray-1.49 WHIP, more than a hit per inning, 2.17 k/bb rate, 1.1 hr/9. Adds up to -.2 WAR.
Happ- 1.17 WHIP, excellent 7.8 h/9, excellent 3.71 k/bb buoyed by a fantastic 10+ k/9 rate. Home runs have admittedly been a problem.
Not saying Happ is a sure thing. The home runs proclivity in Yankee stadium is concerning. But he has not pitched like sonny gray. He’s actually been quite good.
eileenyanks
SRECHTER, Beautifully Done!!
Paul Heyman
So if Drury heads to Toronto for happ what else does that get them? They’ll probably take Tyler clippard and bag of Cheetos too.
Paul Heyman
I mean the Yankees will get clippard and a bag of Cheetos along with happ for drury and whoever else.
giantboy99
In other news, Brewcrew got Soria from Chisox
chound
Red Sox will still win the division.
ctguy
With the same end result as last season
eileenyanks
Drury is a key piece of the Happ-en soon trade
eileenyanks
Deal Done
Armaday
Happ offers no help down the stretch or especially post season. Yanks should try and get Lance Lynn or Dylan Bundy
srechter
I don’t even know where to begin. Where do you all get your info? I can’t wrap my head around the inane hatred of Happ, especially when compared to lance freaking Lynn of all people. Holy hell.