A Cubs fan growing up, J.A. Happ now pitching for the Cardinals

J.A. Happ was a Chicago Cubs fan growing up in Peru. On Friday, he found himself wearing the Cardinal red of the rival Redbirds.

The St. Bede alum, in his 14th full MLB season, was part of a three-man deadline deal between the Cardinals and the Minnesota Twins on Friday, July 30. The Cardinals acquired the veteran pitcher in exchange for pitcher John Gant and minor league pitcher Evan Sisk. The Cardinals also received cash considerations.

The 38-year-old left-hander, who was the 2001 BCR Athlete of the Year as a senior at St. Bede Academy, will make his Cardinals debut Wednesday against the Braves at Busch Stadium.

Happ looks for a fresh start in St. Louis and the National League. He was 5-6 with a 6.77 ERA for the American League Twins this year. He had a particular rough July, standing 2-3 with a 7.82 ERA, and is 3-6 with an 8.24 ERA in his last 15 games.

“I never feel like I got into a rhythm that I like to get into, and that’s nobody’s fault but my own,” Happ told the St. Louis Post Dispatch. “Haven’t been as consistent as I like and what I’ve been most of my career. I feel like I’m still capable of getting much better results and helping this ball club. Hopefully, get a fresh start. Turn that page and start a new one.”

The Cardinals have been known to covet Happ in years past. They become his eighth team in the majors. A third-round draft pick by the Phillies in 2004, Happ made his Big League debut in 2007. He has since pitched for the Astros, the Blue Jays (twice), the Mariners, the Pirates, the Yankees, the Twins and now the Cardinals.

Happ stands 128-98 with a 4.13 ERA over 343 games (317 starts) over his career. His best season was 2016 when he went 20-4 with a 3.18 ERA for the Blue Jays. He also won 17 games in 2018 split between the Blue Jays (10-6) and Yankees (7-0).

He joins a “seasoned” Cardinals’ staff with an average age of 37, led by 39-year-old Adam Wainwright, and 37-year-old former Cub Jon Lester, who was also acquired Friday (from the Nationals), soon to be 37-year-old Wade LeBlanc and 33-year-old Kwang Hyun Kim, all lefties.

Happ joked that Wainwright wanted to know “how old I was.”

Happ could not be reached by the BCR for comment.