The Yankees filled their most glaring need Thursday by acquiring veteran left-handed pitcher J.A. Happ from the Blue Jays.
New York sent infielder Brandon Drury and outfielder Billy McKinney to Toronto in a move that strengthens the back end of their starting rotation. The deal comes two days after the Yankees bolstered their already-stacked bullpen by trading for Zach Britton, an All-Star reliever the Red Sox reportedly had interest in.
With less than a week until the MLB trade deadline, the Yankees have put themselves in a better position to make a run and force the Red Sox into a nightmare Wild Card Game scenario. There's still plenty of work to be done though, as they currently sit 5.5 games behind Boston in the division and the Sox have yet to show signs of slowing down. But with no obvious weaknesses (besides a catcher that often forgets how to run) New York could make things interesting down the stretch when the Red Sox schedule gets more difficult.
Happ, who turns 36 in October, has a 10-6 record this season with a 4.18 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 114 innings pitched. The southpaw doesn't exactly transform the entire landscape of the division race, but he has had success vs the Red Sox throughout his career posting a 7-4 record with a 2.98 ERA. In two starts against Boston in 2018, Happ has allowed only one earned run over 10 2/3 innings. The Sox have had their fair share of struggles vs left-handed pitchers this season.
Boston added pitching depth of their own with the acquisition of hard-throwing Nathan Eovaldi on Wednesday. However, just as the Yanks still needed to make a move for a starter after getting Britton, the Sox still need to add a reliable arm to the bullpen after adding Eovaldi.
It remains to be seen whether the additions of a No. 4 starter and a strong bullpen arm will be enough ammo for the Yankees to close the gap. Fortunately, we'll get more of an idea sooner rather than later as the Red Sox host the Yankees in a four-game series at Fenway Park beginning on August 2.