J.A. Happ made his love and appreciation for Toronto known both during his time with the Blue Jays and following last month’s trade to the New York Yankees. And with the left-hander a free agent this off-season, that fondness for the city could yet result in another reunion with the home team.
“I haven’t got there yet, but I’ll say this: Given my relationship there, if there’s interest [from the Blue Jays], I think I would be foolish to not entertain that,” Happ told Blue Jays radio voice Ben Wagner Saturday on Sportsnet 590 The FAN. “But that’s a long way off and we’ll see what happens down the road.”
The left-hander, who turns 36 in October, played for the Blue Jays from 2012 to 2014, then signed a three-year deal with the club ahead of the 2016 season. Happ was traded to New York this past July for infielder Brandon Drury and outfielder Billy McKinney.
Happ has been dominant since joining the Yankees, posting a 2.22 ERA with 23 strikeouts over 24.1 innings. He’s collected wins in all four of his starts, including Sunday’s outing against the Blue Jays in which he allowed two runs over 5.1 innings.
It’s not known whether the Blue Jays, who are in a transitional phase, would be interested in re-signing Happ. The team’s 2019 starting rotation projects to include Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Sam Gaviglio, Sean Reid-Foley and Ryan Borucki.
[relatedlinks]
