Blue Jays sign J.A. Happ to three year contract

The Toronto Blue Jays have signed free agent starting pitcher J.A. Happ to a three-year contract worth $36 million. Contract details have yet to be released, but assuming the first year of this contract is worth close to the one-third split of $12 million, it likely puts an end to any David Price conversation while adding a much-needed left-handed arm to the rotation. 


Happ spent three seasons with the Blue Jays from 2012-2014, posting a 19-20 record with a 4.39 ERA and 1.371 WHIP. He was then traded from the Blue Jays to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Michael Saunders. Had his season ended at the trade deadline in 2015, it’s unlikely that his payday would be in the same neighborhood as this.

More from Toronto Blue Jays News

• Blue Jays: Snapping cold streaks at the right time
• Who Should the Blue Jays Extend First: Guerrero, Bichette or Manoah?
• Blue Jays now hold the top Wild Card spot, and yes that’s a good thing
• Blue Jays may have the tools to use a Bullpen Day
• Blue Jays win important first game after Bichette’s late inning heroics

After a fairly mediocre start to the season over his first 21 games with the Mariners, Happ would go on the hottest stretch of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates following a July 31st trade. Talk about perfect timing. In 11 starts with the Pirates, Happ posted a 7-2 record with a 1.85 ERA while striking out 9.8 batters per nine innings and harnessing his control at a career best level.

Reuniting with an old friend in Happ will go over predictably poorly with the majority of Blue Jays fans still pining for David Price. It’s important, however, to recognize that this is not the finished product of the Toronto Blue Jays offseason. This could certainly open up the possibility of an R.A. Dickey trade, which would re-establish the Jays as prominent players in the free agent pitching market.

As the rotation currently stands, Marcus Stroman would be followed by a group of Dickey, Happ, Marco Estrada and Jesse Chavez, with Drew Hutchison or Aaron Sanchez as potential competition.

So let’s hear your thoughts! Even if you think the numbers are high, are you pleased with the arm of J.A. Happ being back in a Jays uniform?