Hoping for Happy returns
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins is in a favourable position when it comes to negotiating a trade for highlycoveted left-hander J.A. Happ prior to the July 31 trade deadline. He is not up against the wall in terms of payroll, so the Jays can afford to be creative when it comes to the remaining amount of his $13-million salary for 2018. That ability to eat salary means the return in talent can be better.
There are also plenty of suitors that believe they are contenders and could use a veteran starter like Happ with up to a dozen starts left in August and September. And if the trade is made earlier in July, as is a strong possibility, that team will get even more of Happ. Among teams who may feel they need another starter are the Yankees, Braves, Phillies, Red Sox, Mariners, Dodgers and Diamondbacks.
What might the Jays expect in return for Happ, who is 10-4 this season with a 4.03 ERA and a solid 1.110 WHIP? Here are a couple of recent examples of Atkins and the Jays trading a starter the past two years and what they received in return:
Aug. 1, 2016: The Jays traded RHP Drew Hutchison to the Pirates for LHP Francisco Liriano, C Reese McGuire and OF Harold Ramirez. The Jays’ willingness to take the Liriano contract was a key. Meanwhile McGuire now ranks 14th on the Jays’ list of prospects, while Ramirez recently dropped out of the top 30.
On July 31, 2017: The Jays traded Liriano to the Astros for OF Nori Aoki and OF Teoscar Hernandez. The Jays took on the veteran Aoki to eat his contract, while Hernandez has now become a starter in the Jays’ outfield.
Happ is better than either Hutchison or Liriano. Look for a similar type of deal, where the Jays pay a large chunk of Happ’s remaining salary or else take on an unwanted contract from their trading partner. In either case, Happ has enjoyed his time in Toronto, where he has had his most success, so a deadline trade does not preclude the Jays from negotiating with Happ as a free agent in November. MLB GETTING YOUNGER: The major-league game is changing, getting younger, and it’s up to the Blue Jays to keep pace with what they see unfolding around them.
Executing fundamentals is no longer what fans are looking for as much as they are high ceilings, with amazing raw skills. Throwing to the right base or trailing a lead runner and taking the extra base on a missed cutoff throw are no longer skills that are valued. What counts is Sports Centre highlights with amazing athletes doing amazing things. That’s where it’s at. Let the best kids learn in the majors and take away the dread of four or five years riding buses in the minors. Lure the best athletes.
The stars of the MLB game are getting younger and it seems drafted players or international free agents that may have educational options or are multi-sport athletes are now realizing that the faster they sign and immerse themselves in professional baseball, the faster their path to the major leagues.
Griffin Conine, the Jays’ second-round pick last month, pointed that fact out on a conference call after he signed, speaking of the opportunity to reach the majors following a short minor-league path.
There have been an amazing 32 players in the majors this year 22 years of age or younger — 17 position players and 15 pitchers. Among that group of prodigies, the Jays have had just one, 212-year-old infielder Richard Urena.
Toronto boasts five players 22 or younger at the Triple-A and Double-A levels — pitchers Sean Reid-Foley and T.J. Zeuch, and infielders Vlad Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Urena.
The Jays would argue they are giving their youngsters time to improve their fundamentals and see more reps before a debut. Meanwhile, the Yankees, Braves, Red Sox and Nationals are all contending with kids making huge contributions. A look at the players 22 or younger with more than 100 at-bats this season:
Ozzie Albies, 2B, Braves. Age: 21 | ABs: 357 | OPS: .816.
Rafael Devers, 3B, Red Sox. Age: 21 | ABs: 319 | OPS: .723.
Cody Bellinger, 1B/OF, Dodgers. Age: 22 | ABs: 299; .813.
Amed Rosario, SS, Mets. Age: 22 | ABs: 249 | OPS: .651.
Gleyber Torres, 2B, Yankees. Age: 21 | ABs: 216 | OPS: .913.
Ronald Acuna Jr., OF, Braves. Age: 20 | ABs: 135 | OPS: .827.
Juan Soto, OF, Nationals. Age: 19 | ABs: 128 | OPS: .999. BOMBS AWAY: The Bronx Bombers have never been more aptly nicknamed than in 2018.
As of July 2, the Yankees had bombed 137 home runs as a team, three more than any season in club history prior to the all-star break.