A Contract Extension for Ian Happ?

Ultimately, many Chicago Cubs fans may get their wish, as it still sounds like the team has no plans to engage in extension talks with left fielder Ian Happ. After agreeing to long-term deals with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner, there was some discussion among the fan base whether or not Happ could be a candidate to sign the next contract extension with the team, but things haven’t changed since the offseason.

Happ signed a three-year deal back in 2023, bypassing a chance to become a free agent for the first time in his career. Now, the 31-year-old is in the final year of that contract, and although Happ has repeatedly said how much he would love to remain with the Cubs for his entire career, it doesn’t really seem like the team feels the same way.

At the start of spring training, Happ, along with Hoerner and Seiya Suzuki, was asked whether the Cubs had approached them about extension talks, as all three were headed to free agency after the 2026 season. Hoerner was coy in his answer, and we ultimately learned that he was indeed negotiating with the team for what turned out to be a six-year, $141 million extension. Meanwhile, Suzuki and Happ both said no.

So, did anything change after the Cubs worked out the new deals for Crow-Armstrong and Hoerner? Well, Happ was asked again for an update and it was more of the same.

Via The Athletic.

 After the Chicago Cubs recently made substantial long-term investments in two of their core players, homegrown outfielder Ian Happ said Tuesday that “there’s nothing to report” in terms of his contractual status.

The switch-hitting outfielder currently leads the Cubs in home runs with four, but he’s also given fans plenty to complain about as he has 18 strikeouts in nine games. Not only does Happ lead the team in strikeouts, seven more than Dansby Swanson, but Happ is also tied for second-most among all MLB hitters.

Happ’s situation is trickier than some fans make it because, on one hand, he isn’t an elite hitter, but you can’t ignore his steadiness either.

In 2025, Happ posted a slash line of .243/.342/.420, with 23 home runs and a 116 wRC+. He had a big bounce back after he was removed from the leadoff spot in July. From July 12 through the end of the year, Happ recorded an .861 OPS, hitting .271/.372/.489, with 11 home runs in 269 plate appearances. Happ’s 140 wRC+ in the final 2.5 months of the regular season ranked first among all left fielders in MLB.

Overall, Happ has been quite consistent at the plate since he became the Cubs’ every-day left fielder in 2022. Here’s his yearly slash line, wRC+, and fWAR during the past four years.

Ian Happ 2022-25
.271/.342/.440, 122 wRC+, 3.7 fWAR
.248/.360/.431, 118 wRC+, 3.3 fWAR
.243/.341/.441, 121 wRC+, 3.6 fWAR
.243/.342/.420, 116 wRC+, 2.8 fWAR

Yet, looking ahead, the Cubs might finally pave the way for Kevin Alcántara in the outfield, or maybe Matt Shaw proves that he can handle an outfield role and he becomes Happ’s successor in left field.

Happ is going to reach free agency, and although I don’t think he’ll re-sign, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cubs hang around and wait to see if Happ’s market isn’t what he projected, and they end up signing him to a contract that benefits the team. But an extension at this point? You can pretty much forget about it.