MLB: San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs May 5, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ (8) makes a catch on San Francisco Giants first baseman Wilmer Flores (not pictured) during the second inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

Cubs urged to consider trading longtime key player

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Evan Massey | Last updated Dec 17, 2025 1:33 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs have not had a highly-impactful offseason just yet. Jed Hoyer and the front office have made a couple of solid moves, but there is a lot more work to be done.

If the Cubs want to be a serious contender in 2026, an high-impact move or two needs to be made.

On the outside looking in, Chicago could use another big bat to help replace the expected loss of Kyle Tucker. Or, the Cubs could simply get aggressive and re-sign Tucker. Another starting pitcher would be a nice addition for the team as well.

With that being said, an intriguing suggestion has been made for Chicago.

Brandon Glick of Cubbies Crib has suggested that the Cubs should consider trading longtime outfielder Ian Happ this offseason. His reasoning behind the suggestion is that Chicago has a lot of impending free agents next offseason and moving on from one of them would likely be wise since the team won’t be able to keep all of them.

“Trading (for instance) Happ doesn’t help the offense unless the team brings back a bat in a trade (or uses the financial savings to sign a free agent), but it may bring in some controllable talent for a team that is severely lacking in that department right now,” Glick wrote.

During the 2025 MLB season with the Cubs, Happ played in 150 games. He hit 23 home runs to go along with 79 RBI, while also producing a slash line of .243/.342/.420.

At 31 years old, Happ has been playing in Chicago since the 2017 season. Over the years, he has had a lot of success with the Cubs. Trading him would be a tough decision, but it would be better than losing him for nothing next offseason.

There is a good chance that Chicago will decide not to move on from Happ. He’s likely still viewed as a key part of the 2026 lineup. However, it’s a suggestion that the Cubs should at least consider.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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