Ian Happ ready for season as free agency looms originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Chicago Cubs went into the offseason discussing possible contract extensions with Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner, and though the infielder’s deal got done, Happ will enter the regular season with free agency looming in the distance.
Happ, who made the All-Star Game and won his first career Gold Glove last season while hitting 17 home runs and driving in 72 RBI’s, says that while he won’t close the door on a new deal with the Cubs, he’s focused on the season ahead.
“I’m just excited to play baseball with this group of guys,” he said.
Happ was asked about his contract situation during a workout Wednesday at Wrigley Field, but declined to get into specifics as he enters the final year of his contract.
“It’s not something I want to get into,” he said. “We went through the process. And that’s about it. There’s nothing really to report. No real comment on it.”
Chicago Baseball
The outfielder told reporters that he plans to enjoy the “day-to-day” of the season, knowing it could be his last with the Cubs.
Being the subject of rumors won’t be foreign territory for Happ, who was often floated as a potential trade candidate last season in the lead-up to the deadline.
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Both he and Willson Contreras ended up staying put with the Cubs after the deadline, with Contreras signing a free agent deal with the St. Louis Cardinals during the offseason.
Now it’s Happ's turn on the hot seat, as he’ll look to earn a lucrative new contract as one of the more intriguing outfielders in the free agent pool.
As for Hoerner, Happ says he is thrilled for his teammate and friend.
“That’s the most fulfilling part as a teammate and as a friend, being so close to him for so long, just watching how excited he is to be here for the next three years, is really cool,” he said.
Hoerner recently signed a three-year contract extension with the Cubs through the 2026 season, buying out his final arbitration years and his first year of unrestricted free agency.
Happ says that the time he’s spent with the infielder over the years has cemented a lasting friendship.
“It doesn’t feel like that long ago, Nico coming up and having his debut in San Diego and us getting to spend time together in 2020 living together,” he said. “I’m super happy for him, that he’s really happy with how everything went down, that he’s going to be here and that he’s going to have security.”
Happ has hit 104 career home runs in 678 games with the Cubs since making his MLB debut in 2017. He hit a home run on the first pitch he saw in his first career at-bat, and while he hit 24 home runs in his rookie season, he struggled to find his footing in the season’s that followed, enduring a lengthy stint in the minor leagues during the 2019 campaign.
In 2021 Happ found a new gear, with 25 home runs and 66 RBI’s in 148 games with the Cubs.
Last year his power took a dip, but he raised his batting average by 45 points and posted a .342 on-base percentage for the North Siders, which will earn him a spot in the middle of the team’s lineup this season.
Happ and the Cubs will kick off their regular season on Thursday against the Brewers, with a 1:20 p.m. first pitch at the Friendly Confines.
