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Yankees: Three players who could still be traded before Opening Day

By Mac Josephson

DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 12: J.A. Happ #34 of the New York Yankees warms up prior to the start of game one of a double header against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on September 12, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 12: J.A. Happ #34 of the New York Yankees warms up prior to the start of game one of a double header against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on September 12, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 09: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees pulls J.A. Happ #34 from the game as teammate DJ LeMahieu #26 consoles him in the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium on May 09, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

SP J.A. Happ

Out of all the players on the Yankees 40-man roster, Happ is still the most likely to be dealt. It could happen before Spring Training or even during. but I don’t see the veteran left-hander starting the season with the club on Opening Day. That is unless someone in the Yankee rotation suffers an injury during the next two to three months.

A Happ trade still seems likely for a couple of reasons. The first is it would lower the Yankees payroll and help them avoid paying the penalty for going over the third and highest luxury tax threshold of $248M. Right now they’re projected to be about $13M over and Happ is set to make $17M next season and has a vesting option for the same amount in 2021. If the Yankees can offload his entire contract in a trade or a large portion of it would be the easiest way to help them and chairman Hal Steinbrenner avoid paying the penalty.

Happ is also more expendable now that the Yankees have Gerrit Cole leading their starting staff and Jordan Montgomery back in the mix from injury. Montgomery was terrific during his rookie campaign in 2017 before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2018 which forced him to miss all of last season until he returned in September. He deserves a spot in the starting rotation next season but he probably won’t get it if Happ remains on the roster.

The Yankees also have more depth than in years passed with promising prospects like Deivi Garcia and Mike King who could both impact the big league club in 2020. They’ll also likely get Domingo German back at some point following his 63 game suspension so they can afford to trade Happ and still get a lot of production out of their fifth starter spot.

That being said, if the Yanks are fine with accepting the penalty for going over the third threshold keeping Happ does make some sense. If Montgomery falters in his return or one of the prospects mentioned isn’t quite big-league ready yet it certainly can’t hurt to keep the veteran left-hander and have him take the mound every fifth day.

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