The Pirates and J.A. Happ are 'interested in coming to terms on deal'

According to Rob Biertempfel of TribLive Sports, "there is mutual interest between the Pirates and free agent pitcher J.A. Happ...but the sides have not yet formally discussed a contract offer."

This season, Happ pitched 172 innings and posted an ERA of 3.61 along with an FIP of 3.41; and with the Pirates, he was much better. After being acquired at the July 31st trade deadline, Happ became elite. His K/9 jumped from 7.90 to 9.81; his BB/9 plummeted from 2.35 to 1.85; and his ERA and FIP both dropped significantly, to 1.85 and 2.19, respectively.

While the Pirates would like to have him back, this is Happ's first time as a free agent, and is likely his only shot at a major payday. He wasn't eligible to receive a qualifying offer, and as such there won't be a penalty for the team that eventually signs him to a contract.

Dave Cameron of FanGraphs projected that Happ will receive a three year deal at $24 million, while the crowd sourced projection was for the same total length, but at $33 million. Teams might be reluctant to offer Happ three years, as he's already 33, and this past season was his best since 2009.