JA Happ

[JohnBriggs12]

Happ is pitching like one of the best starters in the game. 1 Whip, 10 K/9. We won’t get him for a lower end prospect because there will be plenty of competition.

 

His ERA and FIP are around 3.5. That's good, but one of the best starters in the game? Sorting by ERA, there are 29 starters with a better era. By FIP there are 20. He wouldn't even by our best starter based on those metrics, and our rotation leaves a lot to be desired.

 

Have to give him some credit since he's not facing pitchers and he's in same division as Yankees and Red Sox. Happ would be certain to be a playoff starter.

[homer]

I think it depends on if you think Anderson and Davies will round into form or not. At the end of the season Happ is probably going to have better numbers than every one of our starters not named Guerra (if not that is a good thing). He will cost more than Ponce.

[Boomer5]

Happ is pitching like one of the best starters in the game. 1 Whip, 10 K/9. We won’t get him for a lower end prospect because there will be plenty of competition.

 

His ERA and FIP are around 3.5. That's good, but one of the best starters in the game? Sorting by ERA, there are 29 starters with a better era. By FIP there are 20. He wouldn't even by our best starter based on those metrics, and our rotation leaves a lot to be desired.

 

That still makes him a number 1 on many teams and a number 2 on every team. And he plays in the AL East.

 

Our 17th best prospect got us about 20 innings of Swarzak for example. Happ will be a relatively major pick up by rental standards and the team that picks him up won’t have money on the books for 2019.

[adambr2]

I think it depends on if you think Anderson and Davies will round into form or not. At the end of the season Happ is probably going to have better numbers than every one of our starters not named Guerra (if not that is a good thing). He will cost more than Ponce.

 

All good if he does, for someone else. I wasn't saying he'll cost Ponce. I was saying Ponce is the ceiling of what I would give up for Happ.

[StearnsFTW]

Yeah, no real interest in Happ from me.

 

I definitely wouldn't be happy with the original post.

[long ball]

Santana and Woodruff is more than I think it would take. Definitely more than I would give up. It might take someone like Woodruff though.

 

Drew Pomeranz is the closest deadline deal I could find recently that would be similar to Happ. Pomeranz had 2.5 years of control and only garnered a top 75ish prospect 1:1. Pomeranz had 17 starts for the Padres before being traded, throwing 102 innings with a 2.47 ERA. (3.15 FIP)

 

Happ has a longer track record than Pomeranz did, but I don't think Happ costs more than someone like Woodruff

 

Anderson Espinoza was rated much higher when that trade was made. Baseball America's 2016 mid-season list had him ranked #24. I seem to remember some lists at the time had him in the late teen's. Espinoza was definitetly a consensus top 25 prospect in all of baseball when that trade went down.

 

That is correct, but this was clearly a product of big market bias. At the time, I thought he was extremely comparable to Diplan...only one pitched for the Brewers while the other pitched for the Red Sox.

 

With that said, Pomeranz isn't really comparable because of the remaining contract. A rental versus 2.5 years of control, not even close to the same.

 

ya it was admittedly a stretch to begin with and then i whiffed on Espinoza's prospect status.

 

There haven't been too many decent rental starters moved at the deadline the past two seasons to draw a comparison to.

[brewmann04]

rental should not get a top prospect from the crew.

[KCBrewerfan34]

Toronto extensively scouting Brewer minor league system. Happ and Solarte?

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Toronto extensively scouting Brewer minor league system. Happ and Solarte?

 

I hope it's Stroman or Sanchez and Solarte. I have no interest at all in Happ. He's having a decent year, but there is no upside there, he's purely a rental, and I don't think he's any better than what they are throwing out there. I think when Stearns talked about acquiring a top of the rotation guy, Happ is not what he meant.

[PeaveyFury]

Happ's ability to pitch deep into games could help the bullpen a lot. He's gone to the sixth or beyond in 10 of his starts, which is something the current staff struggles to do. It's going to destroy out bullpen, as we saw on this last stretch of games in Cincy. The rotation needs a couple of guys that can give the bullpen a few innings off, or this team is going to implode.

[BrewCrewBlueDevil]

The fact that he is a rentals makes it appealing. He won't cost Huira, Burnes or Peralta. Generally, pitchers in the last year of their contract have effective second halves because they want another contract.

[FVBrewerFan]

Exactly the type of move they need. This team can not, should not, and will not empty the farm for this ridiculous TOR starter obsession. Just a foolish waste of resources. Happ gives us another legit starter, and that's what we need. Nelson not coming back, and who knows about Davies. If they can get a rent-a-Happ for Phillips or whatever, do it.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Happ's ability to pitch deep into games could help the bullpen a lot. He's gone to the sixth or beyond in 10 of his starts, which is something the current staff struggles to do. It's going to destroy out bullpen, as we saw on this last stretch of games in Cincy. The rotation needs a couple of guys that can give the bullpen a few innings off, or this team is going to implode.

 

I guess, but every team has stretches where their pen gets exposed a bit - the Brewers split with a Reds team that is rolling offensively and had it not been for Zagurski blowing the lid off game 3, the Brewers could have won 3 of 4. I recall a few weeks ago the Brewers' rotation went through a stretch where many starts went 7+IP (around the time of that Cub home series) - then the following turn through they all got touched up or had to exit much earlier and the pen has been feeling shorthanded ever since.

 

With their current rotation, I do think they need an innings eater to anchor things - Anderson is good for 6-7IP most starts, Chacin is in that 5-6IP range, Guerra has been a 5-6 IP guy that I feel gets yanked out of games a few outs too early routinely, Suter shouldn't stay in games longer than twice through the batting order unless the offense is scoring a ton, and Peralta is the young guy wildcard who shouldn't be counted on for more than 5-6 IP routinely. Adding a quality starter that could allow the Brewers to use Suter as a long man or have Suter and Peralta piggy back games to limit Freddy's innings would be great.

 

Where the pen has shown signs of stress is the fact some of their key guys are no longer going multiple innings to try and keep them fresher - if that shift holds, then I think they'll need at least one more solid relief to go along with a frontline starter. Any word on how Albers is doing? I feel like when he was healthy he was just what their pen needed to bridge games when key late inning guys needed an extra day. This is also a key stretch for the Brewers on the schedule, with more games left than days remaining before the AS break due to that doubleheader in Pittsburgh next weekend and no other off days. Some of their MIF fodder will need to be jettisoned to get an extra arm or two up again.

[lcbj68c]

FWIW, MLB.com prediction says Happ to the Brewers for Burnes and Phillips.

 

https://www.mlb.com/news/trade-deadline-predictions-for-machado-hamels/c-283816686?tid=282421090

[pacopete4]

Shaw getting reps at 2B, opening the door for Solarte at 3B and Happ to top the rotation.

[PeaveyFury]

If we give up Burnes for Happ.....

 

What a silly prediction.

[OnaBadger58]

FWIW, MLB.com prediction says Happ to the Brewers for Burnes and Phillips.

 

https://www.mlb.com/news/trade-deadline-predictions-for-machado-hamels/c-283816686?tid=282421090

 

Some of those projected trades are ridiculous. That Moose trade to the Braves may be the worst.

[KeithStone53151]

FWIW, MLB.com prediction says Happ to the Brewers for Burnes and Phillips.

 

https://www.mlb.com/news/trade-deadline-predictions-for-machado-hamels/c-283816686?tid=282421090

 

Some of those projected trades are ridiculous. That Moose trade to the Braves may be the worst.

 

Oh dear god these trades. The Moose trade is seriously a joke, I don't think the Braves give up either one of them for Moose. In what universe have teams been giving up massive hauls for solid but unspectacular players? I can understand the premium price for Machado...but he's really the only rental that commands a premium return.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

FWIW, MLB.com prediction says Happ to the Brewers for Burnes and Phillips.

 

https://www.mlb.com/news/trade-deadline-predictions-for-machado-hamels/c-283816686?tid=282421090

 

Some of those projected trades are ridiculous. That Moose trade to the Braves may be the worst.

 

They evidently haven't been looking at the return rental players are getting over the last couple seasons.

[trwi7]

My favorite is how the Red Sox are able to get Gennett for their 10th best prospect and a lesser prospect from their garbage farm system while he is having a better year with more control than pretty much every hitter on that list.

[Boomer5]

My favorite is how the Red Sox are able to get Gennett for their 10th best prospect and a lesser prospect from their garbage farm system while he is having a better year with more control than pretty much every hitter on that list.

 

DS better pray that’s all the Reds get back.

[brooks_quichenick]

Heyman is in Milwaukee today. Sent these tweets back to back, makes me think Stroman or Sanchez are the actual targets the Brewers are looking at with Toronto.

 

 

"Yankees are a main player for ja happ, perhaps the main player at this point. He’s at/near top of their list. #jays"

1:15 PM - 3 Jul 2018

 

 

"Brewers are surveying market for starting pitcher, as expected. As is their want, not enamored with rentals (the concept, not the particular players available)"

1:17 PM - 3 Jul 2018

[Point Beer Is Best]

If we give up Burnes for Happ.....

 

What a silly prediction.

 

12 years of team control for 12 starts of Happ? That's a hard pass.

[jerichoholicninja]

Most of what MLB.com puts out is pure crap. Almost on par with the crap ESPN puts out.

[Humans Need Water]

Stroman is the target and Burnes/Phillips fits that (depending on the 3rd piece might even be able to do Woodruff/Phillips)