By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
While rumors regarding the Philadelphia Phillies' potential acquisition of Baltimore Orioles four-time All-Star Manny Machado and closer Zach Britton continue to spread, the club is reportedly also showing increasing interest in a third player out of the American League East — Toronto Blue Jays left-handed starter J.A. Happ.
Happ, 35, reportedly ranks third behind Machado and Britton on the Phillies' "wish list" with "definite interest," according to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jim Salisbury.
The Blue Jays have recently spent "much time" scouting the Phillies farm system, per Salisbury, who writes:
The Phillies have not had a left-hander make a start for them since late in the 2016 season. Having a lefty in the rotation is not imperative, but there would be value to it in a pennant race — and beyond — if the Phils could land the right one. Landing a lefty starter could open the possibility of using Vince Velasquez as a one-inning bullpen weapon in the postseason.
The Phillies have long been connected to Cole Hamels, another lefty starter who, of course, has significant Phillies roots. However, there has been no evidence to date that the Phils are pursuing Hamels, who has a $20 million contract option for next season that can be bought out for $6 million.
Read: Phillies Hot Stove: Cole Hamels Would ‘Absolutely Love’ to Rejoin Club
Happ earned his first-career All-Star nod this season, going 10-6 with a 4.29 ERA and 1.193 WHIP in 19 starts. The 12-year veteran southpaw ranks eighth in the American League with 10 wins, and is in the final year of his three-year, $36 million contract.
Native to Peru, Illinois, the Phillies drafted Happ in the third round of the 2004 amateur draft out of Northwestern University. Happ went 14-5 with a 3.11 ERA in 47 appearances with the Phillies from 2007-2010, before he was dealt with Anthony Gose and Jonathan Villar to the Houston Astros on July 29, 2010, for RHP Roy Oswalt.
