Chicago Cubs: What’s the plan with Ian Happ moving forward?

Ian Happ wasn’t supposed to be this good.  He was supposed to be up in the big leagues for about a week and then get sent back down to Iowa.

But, as we know, how we think things will play out rarely end up being the case. Ian Happ had different plans when he earned his ticket to the bigs.  He has proven to Chicago Cubs brass how they need to have his bat in the lineup everyday.  But there are still some questions I have about the young slugger.

One question I have is – can he physically smile?  Seriously, find a picture with Ian Happ smiling and send it to me (@JustinCurran7 on Twitter).

The question I really have is – what’s the plan?  Happ has showcased some defensive versatility already at the big league level, but we still don’t know his permanent position.

He was supposed to be mainly a second baseman, but the Cubs need another guy who can play second like they need a hole in the head.  He looks like he has been a sufficient outfielder, but the defensive metrics are pretty average.

Ian Happ poses a question to the Cubs both short and long-term – what do you do?  Fair warning, a lot of awful puns for the transitions – I can’t help myself.

Despite being one of the only rookies on the team, Ian Happ has been one of the best players on the club this year.

In only 50 games thus far, Happ has 13 homers, a .562 slugging percentage, and an OPS+ of 130.  Those are really solid numbers for anyone, regardless of experience.

Happ plays four positions (all three outfield plus second base), but he should only be playing two.  From what the advanced metrics show, Happ is clearly a better second baseman and short-stop than he is a right or left fielder.

To Maddon’s credit, Happ has played the majority of his games in center, his best position.  According In center, Happ boasts a .952 fielding percentage and 40 putouts in 26 total games.

The fielding percentage is the lowest of any position, but that’s because it’s still a small sample size and he’s made a total of two errors in center.

In 19 games at second, he has played it pretty well, but to reiterate, the Cubs don’t need another second baseman.  Ben Zobrist, Javier Baez, Tommy LaStella, and Addison Russell can all play second.

We have to pick a position so let’s say Ian Happ is your center fielder for the future.  That leaves out Albert Almora Jr., who I think needs more playing time as it is.  You’re also putting a defensively unknown in Happ next to a liability in Kyle Schwarber.

In just about every one of my editorial pieces, I talk about the Cubs need for pitching and how they eventually need to make a move.

I can scream about it until I’m blue in the face or write about until I’m blue in the fingers… wait I don’t that’s a thing.  If you have blue fingers, go to the doctor immediately.

Chicago Cubs

Anyway, the point is I’m not so sure anything is going to happen before the trade deadline.  Eventually, something will happen where the Cubs trade for pitching.

Who’s going to be the guy or guys to go is unknown.  With Ian Happ playing this well so far this season, I don’t think the Cubs are going to let him go.

My plan would be pretty simple, you send Addison Russell and possibly even Kyle Schwarber for a guy like Sonny Gray or Chris Archer and then that frees up two key positions.

I would then rotate Baez over to short and I would put Almora Jr. in center, and then I would rotate Zobrist and Happ between left and second, getting Happ in the lineup more often than the aging Zobrist.

This would give you plenty of versatility and when the time comes, you could bring up a young prospect like an Eloy Jimenez.