Yankees seem to be trying to deal Happ so they can free up money so they can sign Cole.  Happ is under contract next year for $17M with a vesting option for 2021 at $17M as well.

 

Not the greatest starter out there for sure. He could benefit from a change of scenery. Not everyone is mentally fit to handle the pressure of NY. Maybe if they can eat at least $5M a year on the deal and if the prospect cost is not too high.

 

It could work out good for the Twins. They get a lefty for the rotation and we get to watch them overpay for Cole.

No. How good is he really?

No, unless the Yankees attach a very good prospect with him

No, unless the Yankees attach a very good prospect with him

Yeah, maybe if they give up Luis Severino too.

 

Otherwise I’d rather just be satisfied to enjoy watching the Yankees pay the luxury tax for a bad pitcher.

Yes. He is as good imo as the tier 3 guys that are on the market. His salary is going to be higher than those likely. I propose we pay all of Happ's salary, which is what NYY would most need. In return we get prospects. I'm asking for Deivi Garcia. If not Garcia work something out for one of their top 3 prospects or Clint Frazier.

 

Since I doubt we get one of the top FA's we can get Happ and still be able to sign someone like Tehran or Wood.

No. I don’t think he’s enough of what we need and I don’t want to help the Yankees out with their potential payroll problems.

Not sure why this sounds like such a bad idea. Look what happened when AJ Burnett got out of NY. He turned into a good pitcher again. They include a prospect and eat some money and I would be happy to make a deal.

 

Maybe Wes Johnson can turn him around and then it would all work out. The pressure in NY is just too great for quite a few pitchers.

As high as the free agent prices are going I think the trade route is the way to go. Whether it is for Happ? If Wes Johnson likes him then go for it.

So he is not worth the 17 million he is being paid and you want to give up talent to pay a pitcher an extra 7 million from his current estimated market value?

I would make the call and see which prospects you get with Happ. Certainly they will have to send someone along with Happ. Because sending money with him defeats their purpose of getting under the luxury tax. They do not need Andujar any more.  What would a Happ-Andujar trade look like. Twins can use a 3rd baseman. We would have to send something back to even this up but if it is not much

Depending on who’d be attached to the deal, I wouldn’t mind a Happ trade. I mean, he’s only one season removed from being a 3.0 WAR pitcher.

 

So he is not worth the 17 million he is being paid and you want to give up talent to pay a pitcher an extra 7 million from his current estimated market value?

The Yankees would have to attach a player along with sending cash to move Happ. Only way the Twins pay full amount would mean they would be including a very good trade piece along in the trade.

 

Yes. He is as good imo as the tier 3 guys that are on the market. His salary is going to be higher than those likely. I propose we pay all of Happ's salary, which is what NYY would most need. In return we get prospects. I'm asking for Deivi Garcia. If not Garcia work something out for one of their top 3 prospects or Clint Frazier.

 

Since I doubt we get one of the top FA's we can get Happ and still be able to sign someone like Tehran or Wood.

Taking Frazier and Happ would require a top 3 prospect from the Yankees. Frazier I think is out of options.

I like the idea of helping out the poor Yankees, but how's about, instead, we sign Cole so the Yankees have room in the budget for Happ?

No reason to alleviate them of their financial obligations.........

I'd decline this one too. Happ would be a dependable rotation piece, but not what the Twins need at this point. We need a MUCH better pitcher, or someone with more upside who can help get us past the first round of the playoffs. Happ is not that player.

Happ's vesting options for 2021 are very easily attainable if he is pitching for you in 2020. Therefore you are going to owe him 17 million in 2021 and that makes it a very very bad contract given his age.

I agree let's not enable the Yankees.  And inevitably we would end up meeting in the playoffs and it would be Cole v. Happ.  

Yes! Lets help the Yankees overspend! Cole was never coming here anyway so no reason to be vindictive. Honestly with the way this market has developed I'd be fine with 1-2 years of Happ if the trade is clearly favorable to the Twins. I'd take on all of the remaining Happ contract and ask them to attach a prospect to sweeten the deal. How about getting Luis Gil back in the organization?

If it's a total salary dump...I'd at least listen. But I'd rather sign/trade for several others first.

Depending on who’d be attached to the deal, I wouldn’t mind a Happ trade. I mean, he’s only one season removed from being a 3.0 WAR pitcher.

The trouble is that he’s 37 years old. There’s a pretty good chance he can’t be fixed.

They should do it as helping the Yankees sign Cole will be the closest the Twins come to acquiring an ace. 

 

And considering that the front office is now floating Keuchel as an "impact" pitcher, despite the fact the guy couldn't even get a long term deal last year and is coming off a season with a 4.76 FIP, Happ is probably as good as we're going to get. 

 

They should do it as helping the Yankees sign Cole will be the closest the Twins come to acquiring an ace. 

 

And considering that the front office is now floating Keuchel as an "impact" pitcher, despite the fact the guy couldn't even get a long term deal last year and is coming off a season with a 4.76 FIP, Happ is probably as good as we're going to get. 

I think it all depends on not getting Ryu or Bumgarner. I don't think we get either. I agree with you that Keuchel is not an impact arm. I would be fine with him but he's not a whole lot better than Happ either at this point. Roark and Tehran are at the same level as Happ and I suspect will be signed for 12-14 mil per for 2 seasons. 

 

So if we could get a top prospect out of NYY that could be a possible chip to acquire a front end arm in the future then why not? Its not about helping NY its about helping us. We're not getting Cole regardless.

 

I don't see this forthcoming until if or when NYY was to sign Cole.

If I could get back their top prospect, Deivi Garcia, I do it. The Twins would need to send some decent value back. If this could be a trade of 2 or 3 depth prospects in the 11-30 range of the system for taking on the contract and getting a top 100 prospect who made it to AAA, I think I’d do that.

No

Really starting to like the idea of Happ, although not as the “impact” pitcher we’ve claimed to be in search of, but rather as our 5th starter.

 

While I doubt Deivi Garcia would be attached to the deal, if we could get another Alcala that’d be great. However, if the Yankees are really desperate to move Happ, perhaps we could ask for their top catching prospect Seigler.

 

Really starting to like the idea of Happ, although not as the “impact” pitcher we’ve claimed to be in search of, but rather as our 5th starter.

While I doubt Deivi Garcia would be attached to the deal, if we could get another Alcala that’d be great. However, if the Yankees are really desperate to move Happ, perhaps we could ask for their top catching prospect Seigler.

Happ and prospect Estevan Florial for Griffin Jax.

 

Yes. He is as good imo as the tier 3 guys that are on the market. His salary is going to be higher than those likely. I propose we pay all of Happ's salary, which is what NYY would most need. In return we get prospects. I'm asking for Deivi Garcia. If not Garcia work something out for one of their top 3 prospects or Clint Frazier.

 

Since I doubt we get one of the top FA's we can get Happ and still be able to sign someone like Tehran or Wood.

I really disagree that he's as good as the 3rd tier pitchers on the free agent market. He's 37 and is coming off of his worst season since 2014 which more likely than not means he's just done at this point given his age. You at least know what you're getting with a guy like Tanner Roark if you're putting him in the 5th spot, and guys like Gausman and Teheran will likely put up better numbers than Happ even if they don't rebound or benefit from a tweak from the Twins coaching staff. He had a lower WAR than Martin Perez and Kyle Gibson by a long shot last season and people were begging for them to be gone. 

 

There's also zero chance that they trade one of their top prospects just to unload a terrible contract. I don't think he's an arm to pursue at $17 million for a financially constrained team that's trying to compete. I think by the end of next season we'd be wishing we spent $10 million on anyone else and used the extra money on position player/bullpen help, and there would still be another year of $17 million spent on a 38 year old pitcher.

Happ would be an ok back of the rotation guy.  I kinda don't want to help the Yanks shed salary though, make that Cole contract hurt as much as possible.

Yikes, Happ at 17 million makes Odorizzi at 17 million look like an absolute steal. I don't want to give Happ a rotation spot, because the #5 spot is going to be filled by Smeltzer, Thorpe, Poppen or Graterol, especially for 17 million dollars. We need to get better in 2020, not stay the same or get worse. 2020 Happ will be worse than 2019 Gibson.