JA Happ, twins agree to negotiate

The twins moved on to solidify their initial spin on Wednesday, reaching an agreement on a one-year, $ 8 million contract with veteran southpaw JA Happ, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The club did not confirm the deal, which is pending physical examination and was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

The twins moved on to solidify their initial spin on Wednesday, reaching an agreement on a one-year, $ 8 million contract with the left-handed veteran JA Happ, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The club did not confirm the deal, which is pending physical examination and was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

With Jake Odorizzi, Rich Hill and Homer Bailey all free agents, the twins are looking for depth to support a rotation that features Kenta Maeda and José Berríos at the top.

Happ does not lack experience. The 38-year-old spent 14 seasons in the Majors with the Phillies, Astros, Blue Jays, Mariners, Pirates and Yankees, accumulating a record of 123-92 and an ERA of 3.98 in 324 games (298 matches).

Happ had been with the Yankees since a negotiation in July 2018 in Toronto. Over his time in the Bronx, he went 21-10 with an ERA 4.13, which translates to an above average 106 ERA +. That record includes nine matches in 2020, when Happ posted an ERA of 3.47 (123 ERA +), with 42 eliminations and 15 walks in 49 1/3 innings.

Despite the modest speed, the southpaw remains a fastball pitcher. In 2020, he threw his sledgehammer and sinker 66% of the time, but opponents only managed an average of 0.175 against those shots.