MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees, Mariners are going to bid for J.A. Happ

J.A. Happ is going to be a commodity at the trade deadline, but his future is starting to look a little clearer.

No team has ever won a World Series in July, but more than a few have used the month to set themselves up to win one in October. By the time the trade deadline rolls around at the end of July, we have a pretty good idea of who will be the teams best contending for a title, and it’s those teams that could be just a trade away from fortifying a lineup that ends up being championship caliber.

Right now, the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners seemed poised to be teams that are looking for that one final piece at the deadline. New  York is the best team in baseball despite having a so-so pitching rotation. Seattle looks to be on pace to end a 17-year playoff drought that began in the Bronx back in 2001.

Both teams seem to be interested in the same guy: Blue Jays lefty J.A. Happ.

Seattle has already pulled off a trade this year to help keep itself in contention. Adding Denard Span and Alex Colome for spare parts was a steal and is in line with what general manager Jerry Dipoto has done to stitch a winner together in Seattle. Dipoto loves a good deal, and that’s why it’ll be fascinating to watch him do battle with Brian Cashman in the Happ Sweepstakes.

Cashman is a formidable opponent in that he also likes a good deal (fleecing the Marlins for Giancarlo Stanton is his chef-kissing-fingers masterpiece return to form). He’s also armed with some of the best young prospects in baseball to help get a deal done at the deadline. The Yankees are so stupid rich with talent that they wouldn’t have to deal any of their top-level talents and still get a missing piece for the rotation.

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That’s what Dipoto is up against. We’re only just entering “TRADE SZN”, and there isn’t a better heavyweight front office bout we could hope for.