The Yankees are going after their weaknesses heading into Tuesday's non-waiver trade deadline. Thursday the Yankees completed a deal with the Blue Jays for left-handed starter J.A. Happ.
Happ, 35, is 10-6 with a 4.18 ERA in 20 starts this season. He has 130 strikeouts in 114.0 innings with a 1.175 WHIP. Lefties are hitting just .188 off him.
Happ also has 10 postseason appearances, including three starts.
This is seen as insurance for a Yankee rotation that is shaky behind ace Luis Severino. Masahiro Tanaka has been inconsistent and there is always an injury concern with him. At 38, lefty CC Sabathia's ability to get deep into games has to be a concern and Sonny Gray's struggles have been well-documented.
Along with the trade for lefty closer Zach Britton, the Yankees seems to be gearing up a for a possible one-game wild-card playoff game with the lefty-hitting heavy Mariners or A's.
Infielder Brandon Drury and Yankees minor league outfielder Bill McKinney are being sent to Toronto in the deal. The 23-year-old McKinney, a first-round pick by the Yankees in 2013, was batting just .230 in 54 games at Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre, with 13 home runs and 32 RBIs.
