New York Yankees: Details of J.A. Happ’s option for 2021 revealed

J.A. Happ is back with the New York Yankees and his new contract has a vesting option for 2021, here are the terms.

J.A. Happ is back with the New York Yankees on a two-year, $34 million deal, with a vesting option for a third season. Now, thanks to Lindsey Adler of The Athletic, the terms of the option are officially public.

https://twitter.com/lindseyadler/status/1075790404287639553

The Yankees are thus in one of two places. General manager Brian Cashman is either betting Happ won’t reach those thresholds in his age-37 season. Or, he’s confident enough in offering $17 million a year that he feels Happ will certainly perform well enough for the option to vest.

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Happ, who turned 36 in October, went 17-6 with a 3.65 ERA in 31 starts for the Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. He was acquired in July for Brandon Drury and Billy McKinney and proceeded to go 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts in pinstripes.

But Happ’s success as a Yankee isn’t the important statistic here. Rather, it’s the number of innings he pitched. Sure, he hasn’t thrown 200 frames once in his career, but Happ has eclipsed the 160-inning mark four times in his career. A bona fide ace he is not, but Happ can take the mound and eat some innings when called upon.

Oh, and let’s not forget he’s 8-4 with a 2.98 ERA against the hated Boston Red Sox for his career.

Long story short, the Yankees made the smart move not only giving J.A. Happ a third-year via a vesting option but also making it one that can actually be achieved.

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