Heyman | Surprise pitcher among most desirable trade candidates

The Toronto Blue Jays weren’t necessarily expected to be a seller.

And they didn’t possess any veteran starters who were expected to be major players on the trade market this year, either.

But things change, and the underrated, under-the-radar left-hander J.A. Happ just might be among the most coveted available pitchers – if not the most coveted among pitchers who look likely to be traded.

Chris Archer, Cole Hamels and Danny Duffy drew the early headlines, as they are “name-brand” pitchers on teams that seemed likely to have a chance to be a non-contender. But while Happ isn’t as well known, and his Jays are probably better than the teams of those three pitchers, by virtue of solid pitching, a logical contract and the Jays’ standing as a team that’s on the cusp of an early burial due to their position in MLB’s toughest division, Happ may turn out to be the best of the lot to go.

Archer has been on the block seemingly forever, long enough that you have to wonder whether the Rays are motivated to make a move. Hamels is hurt by a high salary and a dip in velocity. And Duffy, while better lately, has had an unusually bad first half.

Patrick Corbin was trumpeted here last week as a possibility for the trade market, but the Diamondbacks, whose half has been marked by wild swings, are on the upswing – and suddenly back in first place, making him an unlikely trade candidate.

Happ, meanwhile, has been the best pitcher in a startlingly disappointing rotation, and has numbers to satisfy both old-school (he’s 7-3) and new school (87 strikeouts, 3.47 FIP), which might make him in some ways the most desirable of a generally uninspiring lot.

Archer still wins on talent, and Hamels on résumé. But for the moment, Happ looks darned good. Besides his performance, his status as a free-agent-to-be with a reasonable contract ($11 million) will be seen as yet another selling point.