JA Happ believes there may be a slightly nefarious purpose behind his reduced workload so far this season.
The New York Yankees lefty hinted on Tuesday that he thinks the team is intentionally limiting him for contractual reasons. Happ has a $17 million option for next season that will be triggered if he makes a certain number of starts or pitches a certain amount of innings in 2020.
“It actually doesn’t take too much to figure out sort of what could be going on,” said Happ, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “I think I can help our team. I’d like to be out there every five days.”
Happ has made only three starts this season, totaling 12.2 innings pitched. He last started on Aug. 16 and is not scheduled to go again until Aug. 29.
Another problem is that Happ, who turns 38 later this year, has not been very good in those innings. His ERA sits at a sky-high 6.39, and he has only struck out six total batters thus far. Happ’s overall tenure with the Yankees has also been rather unspectacular. Now he thinks that the team may be trying to bring about a premature end to it.
