J.A. Happ was widely believed to be the best starting pitcher among those known to be available prior to the non-waiver trade deadline. The Yankees badly needed a rotation upgrade, and General Manager Brian Cashman prioritized acquiring the 35-year-old left-hander.
After coming over from the Toronto Blue Jays on July 26th in exchange for infielder Brandon Drury and outfielder Billy McKinney, Happ did not disappoint. Although we hoped that he would represent a significant improvement over internal fifth-starter options, he turned out to be so much more. Happ quickly became the club’s most consistently effective starter — dominant even — and remained so through the end of the year.