Yankees trading with Jays for J. A. Happ make any sense?

The Toronto Blue Jays look like the Yankees best “early” option to bolster the rotation with a swap that could put southpaw J.A. Happ in pinstripes.

The Yankees are in need of another starting pitcher since Jordan Montgomery went on the DL a month ago and is not due back for at least another month according to Rotoworld:

"Jordan Montgomery (elbow) has been upping his throwing program but hasn’t thrown off a mound yet. Montgomery resumed throwing last Saturday and has thrown a few more times since then. His flexor strain is expected to keep him out of action until July. Jun 1 – 12:51 PM"

J.A.Happ is a 35-year-old veteran with a career MLB record of 99-79 and a 3.94 ERA. What makes him most attractive to the Yankees is that he is a left-hander. Happ is a free agent next year, and the cost to the Yanks would be just over $6 million for the rest of the season.

So far in 2018, Happ is 7-2 with a 4.08 ERA. In the 12 games he started, Happ has thrown 70 innings with 87 strikeouts and boast a WHIP of 1.132. In his last four starts, he’s gone 26 innings and allowed nine runs while fanning 30.

Happ has also been to the postseason and World Series and adds another veteran presence to the clubhouse.

Rogers considering selling the Blue Jays

"Rogers Communications Inc. is considering the sale of assets such as baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays and its stake in a smaller cable and media company to free up capital for its main communications businesses."

The payroll of the Canadian franchise is already at $166 million, and the Rogers family trust and other board members are known to be in favor of selling the franchise before a long-term rebuild, especially after observing a struggling Marlins franchise that just went for $1.2B.  Canada’s only MLB team would probably go for an even higher price.

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Canada’s only MLB team would probably go for an even higher price.

The Jays are not going anywhere this season and the salary off-load makes perfect sense because the probability of the Jays resigning Happ is near zero. The Yankees could take advantage of adding insurance to their fragile rotation and might be just the ticket they need to help take make the World Series.

Next: Sportswriters pose trades for pitcher Cole Hamels

And once Monty is back, maybe even filling in for a struggling CC Sabathia who looks like he is pitching injured and ready for the DL but who wants to continue for one last parade before retiring is another plus option to make a deal.