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Phillies free agency target profile: Starting pitcher J.A. Happ

By Jim Bahm

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 05: J.A. Happ #34 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch in the first inning of Game One of the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on October 5, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 05: J.A. Happ #34 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch in the first inning of Game One of the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on October 5, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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The Phillies have expressed an interest in bringing in a left-handed pitcher to the rotation. Could that come via a reunion eight years in the making?

Next month many of MLB’s free agents will have a destination in place. The assumption is that at least one of the marquee stars will land on the Phillies. There is also a good chance one or more of the second-tier free agents will end up in the City of Brotherly Love as well.

Beside landing one or two of the big fish (outfielder Bryce Harper and shortstop Manny Machado), one of GM Matt Klentak’s main priorities this offseason is to secure a lefthanded starting pitcher. The top lefties out there are Patrick Corbin, Robbie Ray, Dallas Keuchel, James Paxton and J.A. Happ.

Corbin may be the best of the lot but will demand a huge contract and may be headed to his home state New York Yankees. Keuchel is a groundball pitcher and will need to go to a team with a solid infield. Ray and Paxton are young quality pitchers but will require at least a couple top prospects in return for a trade to occur. That leaves Happ.

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Happ is a familiar face to Phillies fans. In 2009, he won the Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award after sporting a 12-4 record. With Philadelphia hoping to return to the World Series for the third straight season in 2010, Happ was traded to the Houston Astros for wily veteran Roy Oswalt.

Since the trade, Happ’s career has been somewhat of a roller coaster ride but overall, he has shown he can be a successful MLB pitcher.

Immediately after the Oswalt trade, Happ’s three-year stint in Houston did not go well. He went 18-28 and was subsequently traded to Toronto and then Seattle. From 2011-2015 he had a record of 36-50, and his ERA was near 5.00. During his time with the Astros, Jays, and Mariners, he struggled with command and had a bad habit of serving up dingers. Hitters were lighting up his fastball and waiting on the breaking stuff.

After getting traded to Pittsburgh in the second half of 2015, Happ re-found his mojo. He learned how to locate an improved, 93 mph four-seam fastball and learned to keep his sinker down. His ERA dropped to 1.85, his WHIP dropped to 1.02 and his record was a decent 7-2.
In 2016, Happ was one of the best pitchers in baseball, going 20-4 while hurling 195 innings and sporting a 3.18 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP.

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Since that time, Happ has become a viable lefthander again. Despite the bean counter appearance, he has a cool mound presence and a tough demeanor. He has abandoned a five-pitch arsenal including a looping curveball and now relies on locating the four-seamer while moving the sinker down and out of the zone, hoping hitters will chase it.

Last season, Happ was very effective as he split time between the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees. His second stint with the Jays went well as he posted a 10-6 record. After a mid-season trade to the Yanks, he was even better, going 7-0 and was instrumental in bringing playoff baseball back to the Bronx.

So, at 36, is Happ someone the Phillies would like to line up behind Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta? Conventional wisdom would probably say no as the Phillies would like to build a nucleus of young players with the hope of contending for many years to come. Would he sign a one or two-year contract for under $10 million? It is hard to say. Happ may be hoping to get a few more dollars as he readies his ride into the sunset.

It is entirely possible Klentak finds the other available lefties more alluring. It may just come down to what marquee players join the fold as he pieces together a lineup ready for prime time. If the Phillies do sign Harper or Machado, the fan base will be looking to go beyond just being competitive and could clamor for a major run at a crown.

dark. Next. Phillies free agency profile: OF A.J. Pollock

In that case, Happ certainly would be a nice addition to a playoff rotation. But if the big-name players are gone, they would be better suited to trade for younger players like Ray or Paxton. It may mean the Phillies will have to wait things out as they decide which lefty to insert into the rotation come this spring.

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