By Jordan Long
The Chicago Cubs stand at 6-5, 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for 1st place in the National League Central Division. The Cubs start a 3-game set against the Dodgers tomorrow night. Chicago decided to extend Ieft fielder Ian Happ’s contract.
Happ has been with the Chicago Cubs since 2017. Last season, he had career highs in batting average and RBI’s. Happ hit .271 with 72 RBI’s. Happ added 17 home runs. Even so, his future in Chicago was in limbo. Happ was involved in trade rumors. When the trade deadline came and went last year, Chicago decided to keep him even though other teams were interested in Happ. Chicago knew how valuable he was to the team.
Besides his bat, Happ appeared in 146 games in left field last year. He totaled 3 errors. Happ also added 8 outfield assists. For his play at the position, he won his first Gold Glove.
Going into this season, Happ knew he was in the last year of his deal. The contract was going to pay him around $10.850 million. It would have also meant the Cubs might lose him once the year was up since he would be a free agent. The Cubs though decided to keep Happ. They agreed to a 3-year extension worth $61 million. This keeps Happ in a Cubs’ uniform until 2026.
According to MLB.com, Happ said, “I’m just super excited to be here. This is a place I’ve called home since 2015. The city, the fan base, has meant so much to me throughout my career, and the fact that I get to continue to be here, continue to be a Cub and represent the organization, means the world to me.”
Happ can now focus on improving his numbers even more this season. With 39 at bats so far, Happ is hitting .282 with 1 home run and 6 RBI’s. That offense has helped the Cubs to their 6-5 start. Happ has also done well in the outfield. In 11 games so far, he hasn’t recorded an error. Of course, there are 151 games to go for the Cubs in the MLB season.
The Cubs know Happ is their best outfielder. They didn’t want to risk letting him go. With this move, the Cubs are serious about the future and building a contending team. Hopefully, they can do that in the next 3 years. The goal is to win another World Series.
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