Cubs Rumors: Ian Happ ‘expected to hit the market’ this summer

As the best team in the National League, you might not think the Mets need to do a whole lot to improve – but according to the New York Post, the team could be looking to add a bat this summer. Furthermore, that same report singles out Cubs outfielder Ian Happ as a potential fit, saying he’s among a group of hitters ‘expected to hit the market’.

If the Cubs trade both Willson Contreras and Happ, their two best offensive players, they could very well make a run at the worst record in baseball before it’s all said and done. There’s never been any question about what Happ was capable of doing – but this is one of the first times he’s put it together consistently over a sustained period.

Entering Saturday, the Chicago outfielder was already up to 2.5 bWAR on the year, slashing .288/.385/.475 and doing more than enough to warrant his first All-Star selection. He’s notably improved against left-handed pitching, putting up a .942 OPS from the right side, which has always been his weaker one.

Cubs: Scorching hot Ian Happ could be an in-demand trade piece

The month of June has seen Happ catch fire. He’s hitting .363/.435/.600 with nine walks to 11 strikeouts. The switch-hitter has undoubtedly pushed his value through the roof, putting Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and GM Carter Hawkins in the unenviable position of deciding whether or not to send yet another former first-rounder packing.

Unlike Contreras, or the big three traded last summer, Happ comes with another full season of team control which will only further bolster the return commanded in a potential trade.

Baseball America pegs the Mets system as #16 in the game – headlined by the likes of Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio – all top 100 prospects. But with Steve Cohen’s seemingly unlimited resources and the best Mets team we’ve seen in more than a half-decade, you can bet on New York doing whatever it takes to get back to the Fall Classic for the first time since 2015.

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The Mets won’t be the only team intrigued by a player like Happ. A switch-hitter with team control and defensive versatility, he could very well prove to be one of the hottest commodities on the trade market should the Cubs decide to go down that path.