MLB Trade Rumors: The Underrated J.A. Happ Would Be an Ideal Deadline Acquisition for the New York Yankees
Yankees may have to contend with another aspiring American League playoff team if they want to land Happ
The New York Yankees have not made an attempt to keep their interest in adding a starting pitcher a secret, and some recent news could be hinting at the specific player they are eyeing ahead of this season's trading deadline.
According to a recent report from MLB insider Jon Morosi, the Yankees are interested in acquiring lefty J.A. Happ from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Of the starting pitchers that have been mentioned as potential deadline acquisitions for the Yankees such as Chris Archer, Cole Hamels or even Madison Bumgarner, Happ is probably the one who has the least amount of name recognition among casual fans, but that doesn't mean that he won't be able to contribute significantly.
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Happ is posting impressive stats across the board this year, and he's showing genuine improvement by cutting down on his walks and hiking up his strikeouts.
Per Fangraphs, Happ is seemingly benefiting from some good luck on batted balls as his batting average on balls in play (BABIP) is down significantly from his career average, but allowing fewer line drives is a way to convert more of those balls into outs.
The Yankees have been seeking a rotation upgrade for a while, so it wouldn't be a surprise if they start to ramp up their pursuit of Happ soon.
There's still no guarantee that the Yankees will be able to acquire Happ however.
Even though the Yankees have the prospects needed to complete a deal for Happ, they will still have to convince the Blue Jays that trading a talented player to a division rival is fine.
Plus, the Seattle Mariners are also reportedly interested in Happ, and that means that if the Blue Jays aren't comfortable with the idea of helping out a division rival, they may still have another trading partner to work with.
The 2018 trading deadline is coming up in the not too distant future, so fans will want to check in with this Happ situation regularly to see how it pans out.
