The Cubs might be the latest team in the mix for Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ, according to a report from Bob Elliott of the Canadian Baseball Network. No further details have been revealed so far, but it isn’t surprising to see Happ connected to yet another team looking to bolster their rotation as the second half of the 2018 season draws near.
Happ, 35, has been a stable presence in the Jays’ rotation over the last three seasons. He’s 10-5 through his first 18 starts of 2018 and holds a 4.44 ERA, 2.9 BB/9 and 9.8 SO/9 across 105 1/3 innings. The veteran lefty is slated to receive the remainder of his $13 million salary in 2018 and will enter the free agent pool at the end of the year.
There’s no question the Cubs’ pitching staff could use a boost as they look toward the playoffs later this year. According to FanGraphs, their rotation ranks seventh-worst among all major league teams with a collective 3.92 ERA and 2.7 fWAR. It doesn’t help, of course, that Yu Darvish is out of commission for the foreseeable future and that Jon Lester and Mike Montgomery are the only starters currently sporting ERAs under 4.00. Whether or not the Cubs have something of interest to offer the Blue Jays is another question entirely; as of Sunday, at least three other teams have allegedly expressed interest in the southpaw, including the Yankees, Mariners, and Brewers.