According to MLB.com executive reporter Mark Feinsand, there's a good chance that the Chicago Cubs will trade left fielder Ian Happ before the start of the 2023 season.
Earlier in the week, Feinsand wrote a column in which he identified the best trade chip for every team.
Feinsand listed Happ as a likely trade candidate for the Cubs.
"It was somewhat surprising when Happ wasn’t dealt before the Trade Deadline," Feinsand writes. "But with one year remaining until he becomes a free agent, the Cubs could look to move him this winter. Happ earned $6.85 million in 2022 and is entering his final year of arbitration, so barring an offseason extension, the outfielder is likely to start '23 in a new uniform."
As Feinsand points out, Happ, 28, is approaching the final year of his contract with the Cubs. Happ appears to be doing all that he can to receive an extension, even uploading a professionally filmed video to Twitter and tagging the Cubs' Twitter account, expressing his love for the city of Chicago.
The Cubs are in a clear rebuild, coming off a 74-win season, and have three outfield prospects — Pete Crow-Armstrong, Brennen Davis and Kevin Alcantara — on MLB.com's top 100 prospects list. Throw in Seiya Suzuki, who the club signed from Japan last March, and the Cubs have a crowded group of promising young outfielders.
Happ enjoyed the best season of his career in 2022, receiving a Gold Glove and a trip to the All-Star Game.
If Happ, a career .249 hitter, does not fit into the club's long-term plans, now is the time to trade him.
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