Michael Saunders to Blue Jays for J.A. Happ: Latest Trade Details and Reaction

Alex Anthopoulos' busy offseason continued on Wednesday, as the Toronto Blue Jays reportedly struck a deal with the Seattle Mariners that will send left-handed pitcher J.A. Happ for outfielder Michael Saunders.    

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com first broke news of the deal:

Greg Johns of MLB.com confirmed the deal, via MLB's official Twitter:

Happ, 32, will give the Mariners more depth in the starting rotation or as a swing man out of the bullpen, having served both roles in his career. He appeared in 30 games (26 starts) last year, posting a 4.22 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 158 innings. 

Saunders is the interesting part of this deal. He's battled injuries throughout his career, including playing only 78 games last year, but hit a solid .273/.341/.450 for the Mariners. The Blue Jays need outfield depth with Melky Cabrera and Colby Rasmus being free agents. 

As noted by Dustin Parkes of TheScore.com, Saunders will come much cheaper than Rasmus:

"

By trading for Michael Saunders, the Blue Jays essentially re-signed Colby Rasmus at a fraction of the cost.

— Dustin Parkes (@dustinparkes) December 3, 2014"

While Saunders may not hit at the level Cabrera did during his time in Toronto, he won't cost as much, as Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors.com projects the 28-year-old to make $2.9 million in arbitration next season. 

Ultimately, both sides fill a need and the players get a fresh start with a team that will make better use of their current skills than their now-former teams would have been able to in 2015.