Yankees receive: J.A. Happ
Blue Jays receive: Brandon Drury and Billy McKinney
The New York Yankees have struck a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, acquiring left-handed pitcher J.A. Happ . Happ has been a solid arm for the Blue Jays this year with a 10–6 record, an ERA of 4.18, and WHIP of 1.18. The thing about Happ this year is his ability to strike batters out. He currently holds a 10.3 K/9. The Yankees receive another solid starter for their rotation, who as a whole, have been mediocre at best (6th best ERA in the AL for Starting Pitchers). The Yankees also acquired another pitcher Zach Britton, will be another piece to bolster the stellar bullpen. Happ has been decent at Yankees Stadium in the past, which should be a welcoming sight for Yankees fans. In 8 starts, he has a 3.94 ERA, which is near his career average.
The Toronto Blue Jays lose a strong starter in Happ in the deal, but did gain two solid players in return. Utility player Brandon Drury and outfielder Billy McKinney should immediately be placed on the active roster and contribute right away. This is Drury’s 3rd full season in the Majors and has found some success previously as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was traded to the Yankees in the offseason, but has only played in 18 games for the MLB club, due to the Yankees overcrowded roster. McKinney has only 2 MLB games under his belt and those were at the start of the year, with the Yanks. In the Minors, McKinney has been struggling this year with a slash line of .230/.307/.481. However, in previous years, he has been a consistent prospect, with an uptick in his power numbers the past couple of years.
Both teams got what they wanted in the deal. Yankees got a much need starting pitcher and the Blue Jays got two solid young players who will contribute. Drury should see immediate playing time with Josh Donaldson still on the DL and they could give McKinney a shot right away, but it is likely that he will not see consistent play time in the field immediately. Does this move put the Yankees over as the clear-cut World Series favorites? Only time will tell, but it certainly gives them a bigger arsenal work with when the Postseason rolls along. As it sits right now, the Yankees currently have a 4 game advantage in the Wild Card and are only 5.5 games behind the Red Sox. Unless something drastic happens, do not expect the Yankees to miss out on the Postseason.
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Featured Photo: Michael Dwyer
