UPDATE (10:27 a.m. ET): Ken Rosenthal now is saying the Yankees and J.A. Happ are “close” on a deal but indicates it’s not done — yet.
ESPN’s Buster Olney hears the same.
ORIGINAL STORY: The New York Yankees’ rotation on Opening Day 2019 is going to look much different than it did a year ago.
The Yankees on Wednesday agreed to terms on a three-year contract with free agent pitcher J.A. Happ, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported, citing sources.
New York, of course, is quite familiar with Happ’s work. The Yankees acquired the left-hander from the Toronto Blue Jays on July 26, and he pitched incredibly well down the stretch. Happ went 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts with New York, striking out nine batters per nine innings. Coincidentally, Happ’s only loss in pinstripes came in Game 1 of the American League Division Series when the Boston Red Sox torched him for five earned runs in just two-plus innings.
Prior to that stinker at Fenway Park, the 36-year-old had posted strong numbers against the Yankees’ biggest rivals. Happ owns a 2.98 ERA in 21 career appearances against the Red Sox, and he’s 5-2 with a 3.27 ERA in 10 career (regular-season) appearances at Fenway.
