Which free agents will the Yankees re-sign for 2019?
J.A. Happ
Unlike Lynn, there’s zero question that the Yankees would like to bring Happ back. Yankees insiders have reportedly called the notion of bringing the southpaw back as a “no brainer.”
That shouldn’t surprise anyone considering just how well he threw the ball last season. Happ doesn’t have dominant stuff, but he’s got outstanding command. That helped him go 17-6 with a 3.65 in 31 starts last year. A repeat of that performance in 2019 would make him a borderline All-Star.
Age is an issue for the crafty lefty. He’s already 36-years-old so it’s possible that his performance could start to dip soon due to age. The Yankees don’t want to get caught handing a long-term deal to a player who may not provide positive value towards the end of his contract.
Our best guess is that the Yankees will be more than happy to offer Happ a big-money deal. They’re just going to want him to accept a two, or at most three-year contract. He might be able to find a team that’s willing to give him equal annual salary and more years. If that happens, it’s going to put the Yankees in a tough spot.
In the end, we like New York’s chances here. They’ll make Happ a financial offer he can’t refuse. He pitched too well in pinstripes last season to let go.