NEW YORK – The Toronto Blue Jays were a team in ascent when J.A. Happ signed a $36-million, three-year contract on Nov. 27, 2015, and the following season the left-hander was front and centre in another run to the American League Championship Series.
A year-and-a-half later, the classy veteran is in pinstripes after a pre-deadline trade to the New York Yankees while a rebuilding of the roster is in full swing.
"It’s the nature of the game," Happ said Friday afternoon in the Yankees dugout ahead of his first series against the Blue Jays since the July 26 deal. "It just goes to show that when you have an opportunity you want to take advantage of it because you don’t know how long you can sustain it, or how many times you’ll get back there.
"I think they did the right thing in trying to go for it. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but I certainly feel fortunate, and I certainly wouldn’t change a thing about deciding to come back to Toronto because myself and my family had a great time up there."
Happ is starting to have a great time in New York, too, especially since overcoming a mild case of hand, foot and mouth disease he contracted after his arrival. In three starts he’s 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA and 0.737 WHIP for the American League wild card leaders, and a family day this past week has helped further enmesh with "an easy clubhouse to transition into."
Pursuing the playoffs helps, too.
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Though the Yankees are in the midst of a tough stretch – they’d lost four of seven heading into Friday’s series opener – they remain atop the American League wild card standings, and the chase has been invigorating.
"The games mean a lot," said Happ. "There’s a little bit more energy and excitement in the ballpark and coming to the field. Either way, I’m preparing the same way but a little bit different type of energy I think. …
"(Once) you get a taste of the playoffs you want to get a chance to go back there. You feel the energy and the excitement, whatever city you’re in, the stadiums in general. For a chance to go back there, that’s really all you can ask for. That’s a big reason why we play the game and to hopefully have that opportunity should be a lot of fun."
In exchange for Happ the Blue Jays picked up infielder Brandon Drury, currently on the disabled list with a broken left hand suffered while he was with Yankees but diagnosed while with Toronto, and outfield prospect Billy McKinney, called up Friday to cover Luke Maile’s paternity leave.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said McKinney will play Saturday.
"He was coming eventually, anyway," Gibbons said of the timing for McKinney’s callup. "We like him. Heard some good things."
Happ – who said his emotional farewell message to Blue Jays fans was something he wrote on his phone while flying to New York after the trade — is slated to face the Blue Jays on Sunday when Ryan Borucki, a rookie lefty he mentored before the trade, makes the start.
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Gibbons said it will be weird to see him in a different uniform and the lefty agreed.
"I think it will be (weird), to an extent," said Happ. "I spent a lot of time (there) and have a lot of respect for those guys and I feel like I have some good friendships over there. That part is always a little strange, especially so soon. It’s only been a couple of weeks. Hopefully it will be one of those things where the anxiety will be there before the game, and once you start getting into it you’re just competing."
Said Gibbons: "I’m actually looking forward to it. … We know what he’s got, we’ve just got to hit it."
Note: Borucki, who battled a toe blister in his last outing, through a side session Friday and is expected to start Sunday without issue. He’d been wearing the same pair of cleats all season.
"I told him, ‘You’re in the big-leagues, they’ll give you new cleats,’" quipped Gibbons.
