Cubs get an Ian Happ contract prediction from Bleacher Report that's hard to buy

By this point, most Chicago Cubs fans have made peace with the idea that Ian Happ will be playing elsewhere in 2027. The longest-tenured member of the organization just isn't as high of a priority to retain as Seiya Suzuki, and the club's need for pitching reinforcements will sap whatever leftover resources there are.

Does that mean a Happ reunion is impossible? I don't think so; the path is just getting difficult to see. His brand of streaky hitting and solid glove work is what it is at this point, yielding remarkably consistent results year over year (for better or worse). There is value in that stability, but perhaps not enough laden upside to tempt the Cubs in free agency.

That's especially true if Happ's market gets anywhere near Bleacher Report's latest prediction, which has the left fielder earning $70 million over three years while remaining on the North Side of Chicago. At that price point, we can all but kiss the 10-year Cub goodbye.

Ian Happ worthy of larger contract than Cubs are willing to give him

For reference, when Happ inked his three-year, $60 million extension at the onset of the 2023 season, these were his stats from the previous two years (2021-22): .250/.333/.437 (110 OPS+), 42 homers, 18 steals, 5.2 fWAR. At the time, he was a 27-year-old firmly in the middle of his prime and had just won his first Gold Glove award in left field.

Now, let's review Happ's 2025-26 performance: .230/.334/.416 (109 OPS+), 47 homers, 10 steals, 5.4 fWAR. Like I said, the dude is eerily consistent, despite all the streaks he has during the course of a season. Add in two more Gold Gloves, and you've got a 32-year-old player who should be in line for a similar contract as his last one, factoring in the amount of salary inflation we've seen in the past three-plus years.

If anything, that side-by-side analysis renders Bleacher Report's prediction a pretty accurate one, especially since Happ wasn't saddled with the qualifying offer like Suzuki. He has free rein to pursue a nice deal from a contender that could use a high-quality glove and powerful bat in an outfield corner.

The issue isn't his value, but rather the Cubs' priorities. Having to rebuild an entire rotation (and part of a bullpen) can become an expensive endeavor very quickly, not to mention what might happen to the payroll if they get serious about re-signing Suzuki. With so many cheaper left field alternatives available via trade and free agency, it would take a hometown discount of unrealistic proportions to bring Happ back to Chicago.

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