Jays Sign SP Happ to 2 Year Extension (w/ Option)

[Tuuk]

Gregor Chisholm ‏@gregorMLB 10m
#BlueJays have signed Happ to a two-year contract worth US $8.9 million for the 2013 (US $3.7 million) and 2014 (US $5.2 million) seasons

Gregor Chisholm ‏@gregorMLB 4m
#BlueJays also have an option on Happ in 2015 valued at $6.7 million.

Makes it 3 years, 15.6 million in total.

[SharoneWright]

Another team-option deal.

Worth it if he can stick in the rotation... Then again, for that money, seems like they're banking on it. Rickey just got buried a little deeper....

[SharoneWright]

Happ's status all of a sudden vastly improved.

Goes from fringing between Buffalo and TO to a nice contract with security. I bet it helps him pitch better too with no more distractions. Good thing to do going into such an important/all-in season.

[Wo1verine]

They extended the wrong pitcher, haha

[SharoneWright]

They extended the wrong pitcher, haha

Did you see Wainwright's deal?

JJ will be a tough fish to catch...

[Schad]

Essentially, it's a one-year extension plus an option, as the 2013 salary was already locked in.

[SharoneWright]

Essentially, it's a one-year extension plus an option, as the 2013 salary was already locked in.

True. I realized this later/after linking to mlbtr.. ie. 2 years including option year.

[Wo1verine]

They extended the wrong pitcher, haha

Did you see Wainwright's deal?

JJ will be a tough fish to catch...

I wonder if JJ would accept 5/100 right now? Would we even offer that much?

[MGD24]

Press conference for this tomorrow morning at 9am

[SharoneWright]

They extended the wrong pitcher, haha

Did you see Wainwright's deal?

JJ will be a tough fish to catch...

I wonder if JJ would accept 5/100 right now? Would we even offer that much?

boy o boy - that would be more real money. trying to win by paying market value rather than with smoke and mirrors or cashing in prospects for short-term talent with "3-years ago" contracts... would indicate an even further sea-change imo.

(would likely be a good deal in the market, though)

[Randle McMurphy]

Happ is giving up a year of his free agency pretty cheaply. Another team friendly extension by the Jays.

[Wo1verine]

Press conference for this tomorrow morning at 9am

Really? Nobody is going to care we extended JA freaking Happ, haha

[Santoki]

Wow, wasn't expecting this before the season even started. Looks like Ricky is pretty far away and might even be done.

[Redeemer]

safe to say that jj is pretty much gone after the year (either he wants too much money or doesn't plan on signing here regardless) or they have zero faith in ricky romero.

[El Bow]

safe to say that jj is pretty much gone after the year (either he wants too much money or doesn't plan on signing here regardless) or they have zero faith in ricky romero.

Or, does this potentially mean Happ is to replace Oliver as the middle reliever next year..?

[Randle McMurphy]

Wow, wasn't expecting this before the season even started. Looks like Ricky is pretty far away and might even be done.

Don't think this should be taken on any reflection on where Romero is, nor will Happ's presence prevent the "good Ricky" from getting his job back when/if he's ready. They've done this for the same reason they traded a bunch of nothing prospects for Happ in the first place. Teams always need SP depth.

[Michael Bradley]

Yeah this is really just a one year extension as Happ would have gotten around $5.2M in arbitration next season. It's worth the risk, IMO. He would have been here for two years anyway. The third year could come in handy if he performs better than expected and is worth keeping around. If he doesn't, then the option to cut bait still exists.

Hopefully Happ's improved GB and K rates are for real. If they are, then he has a chance to be better than a typical #5.

[Santoki]

Wow, wasn't expecting this before the season even started. Looks like Ricky is pretty far away and might even be done.

Don't think this should be taken on any reflection on where Romero is, nor will Happ's presence prevent the "good Ricky" from getting his job back when/if he's ready. They've done this for the same reason they traded a bunch of nothing prospects for Happ in the first place. Teams always need SP depth.

It's more the message that Happ's #5 job is his for the foreseeable future. That was the more surprising part. For how bad Ricky has been, Happ is still not really that great...

[satyr9]

IMO this is so Happ can relax about his situation as much as anything. He obviously has huge issues about being sent down 'cause it would cost him tons just for arbitration. This way his arbitration is done, advantageously but not crazily so, and in exchange we get his first year of UFA-dom optioned out. IMO it's a reasonable compromise and if we were to end up with a surplus, he'd be less likely to get shirty or demand a trade if a send down were to happen. So even though that outcome looks less likely now, I think they'd been working on this extension to make that potentiality palatable for Happ.

[RyderMike]

I guess this is a safety net. If JJ leaves and/or Romero does not return to form. If JJ does resign and Ricky becomes the pitcher of old, then it frees up someone to deal in exchange for a position of weakness.

So, currently we sit here with our starting pitchers right:

Johnson - signed this year only - UFA in 2014
Happ - locked in through 2014 + 2015 option
Morrow - locked in through 2014 + 2015 option
Buerhle - locked in through 2015 - UFA in 2016
Dickey - locked in through 2015 + 2016 option
Romero - locked in through 2015 + 2016 option