Blue Jays sign J.A. Happ 3-years $36M

[Grant77]

Predictions:

 

MLBTR- 3/30

Fangraphs- 3/33

Actual- 3/36

[dineke]

eh I guess they believe he figured out something in Pittsburgh? He was incredible.

[gbill2004]

I think we need to realize that pitchers don't always want to come to Toronto because:

1. It's Canada and a lot of players prefer playing in the US

2. Rogers Centre can hurt a pitchers stats, thus hurting their next contract.

 

It's not like FA pitchers are dying to sign with the Jays. Sometimes we need to take what we can get. We don't have the pick of the litter.

[closetjaysfan]

hmmm... Im guessing we make a move for a reliever or two, and possibly trade some of the redundant assets (looking at you outfield) for prospects. I doubt we see any big moves this offseason.

[BTS]

I still don't understand. What was the purpose of this if they traded for Chavez and signed Estrada. They are just adding quantity now, not quality. 3/36 for Happ? There's no way anyone can like that. The bottom of the rotation is solid, that's about it lol ..It seems like a huge waste tying up 12m into that slot in the rotation. They needed a #2 not another #4..

 

JA friggin happ @ 36m hahaha, that's way too funny. I miss AA

 

AA is the guy who left a rotation of Stro, Dickey, and Hutchson with no depth in AA. Shapiro and LaCava are adding bodies with as little risk as possible.

[Daniel Labude]

They are banking on a genie in the bottle, same with Chavez.

 

But with Hutch, Chavez, Happ, Dickey, We have too many of the same potential quality pitcher imo. There needs to be an upgrade to the rotation somewhere.

[Angrioter]

...and now, Happ > Saunders

[xposbrad]

It's too bad Shapiro tied up money with more 'depth' when this team needed a #2 starter. There's no way they sign a top end starter now, and there were so many aces available this offseason. One of the very few where you have Price/Cueto/Greinke as FAs and all it would take is money and no top prospects to sign them.

[FrozenRopes]

Stroman

Estrada

Dickey

Happ

Chavez

 

Terrible. Happ is over rated and they just over paid for him. The above rotation scares no one, even throw in Hutch. This organization just doesnt get it. Pitching and Defense.

[Save Dtieb]

After this signing, I have to think they see Chavez as a spot starter / 6th starter / long relief type. Kind of like 2014 Estrada. This might be a telling of the Price sweepstakes with Happ being a lefty. Who knows.

[xposbrad]

Terrible. Happ is over rated and they just over paid for him. The above rotation scares no one, even throw in Hutch. This organization just doesnt get it. Pitching and Defense.

 

Maybe you will wake up tomorrow and it will just be a mistake and the Jays really signed Price @ 7/200...Just pray there's a typo somewhere.

[dineke]

Now sign Brandon Morrow.

[nmrch]

But with Hutch, Chavez, Happ, Dickey, We have too many of the same potential quality pitcher imo. There needs to be an upgrade to the rotation somewhere.

 

There are many ways to build a good team with a rotation that will get the job done. It doesn't require a traditional ace and then a #2 and then a #3 etc. The Jays just don't have the payroll(or trade assets) to acquire a top 15 pitcher. The next best thing you can do is build depth and ensure that you never have the likes of Jeff Francis making starts for you when one of your guys goes down.

[RealAccountant]

Why doesn't this make sense to anyone

 

It makes perfect sense to me

 

An egomaniac like Shapiro wouldn't want to win with a team AA built. No sir. He is doing everything possible to keep us out of contention so he can have assets to trade at the deadline

 

What a waste of money. 12 Mil a year for Happ lmao

[Rusty_Savage]

We get Happ and Saunders for Happ. Not bad value

[CJ-Freeway]

Stroman

Estrada

Dickey

Happ

Chavez

 

lol

 

Weak.

[gbill2004]

Is Ricky Romero available?

[CJ-Freeway]

3-4-5 starters all have the potential to get lit every outing.

[Terminator]

This isn't sexy but we now have 6 starters. I'd keep my eye on another one and push Chavez to a swing man role or sign a solid swing man and leave Chavez in the rotation. With 6 or 7 capable guys that should keep us in the hunt til the trade deadline at which point we could trade for a top of the rotation type.

 

The AAV for Happ is low enough that we can still keep adding depth. I think this team is a clear favorite in the AL East but with an old team and no depth injuries could ravage us. The depth concerns are already getting cleared up and it isn't even December yet.

 

Just keep hitting singles all offseason instead of going for the home run and I think we will be fine for this season and better off for the future.

[BTS]

lol at everyone saying we can't win with that rotation after KC just won a WS

[Laika]

Hard to like or hate this.

 

Jays need pitching, he's fine, doesn't cost a draft pick, has been OK here before, is a little bit intriguing because of Pittsburgh success/changes, and we live in a world where Feldman and Vargas have gotten deals like this already.

 

Have to take what you can get in free agency.

[RealAccountant]

This makes the Chavez trade even dumber. Assuming Hutch is ahead of him we just traded an elite reliever for a long man

[abola2121]

New president is awesome...top 10 pick here we come lol

 

 

Seriously though, this is a really dumb move unless someone else is on the move.

 

This!

Edited November 28, 2015 by abola2121

[gbill2004]

This makes the Chavez trade even dumber. Assuming Hutch is ahead of him we just traded an elite reliever for a long man

Hutch will be in Buffalo next year.

[Orgfiller]

Now sign Brandon Morrow.

 

I would be totally up for this. Morrow as a cheap reliever/occasional swingman has a chance to be a good upside signing.

[nmrch]

This makes the Chavez trade even dumber. Assuming Hutch is ahead of him we just traded an elite reliever for a long man

 

Have people learned nothing in the AA years? Unless you get exceptionally lucky, you need 7 starters atleast to get through a season

[Statman]

Stroman

Estrada

Dickey

Happ

Chavez

 

Jesus, that is a terrible rotation.

[Orgfiller]

lol at everyone saying we can't win with that rotation after KC just won a WS

 

Mind boggling how people seem to have forgotten.

[dineke]

This makes the Chavez trade even dumber. Assuming Hutch is ahead of him we just traded an elite reliever for a long man

 

How is Hutch ahead of Chavez?

[Slot Machine]

Suddenly a lot more relevant.

 

Fangraphs: Let’s Try to Make Sense of J.A. Happ