Potential SF Giants target LF Ian Happ signs extension with Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have signed left fielder Ian Happ to a three-year extension, taking a potential SF Giants free-agent target off the market.

Marc Delucchi | Apr 12, 2023

Potential SF Giants target LF Ian Happ signs extension with Cubs /

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The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a three-year, $61 million contract extension with left fielder Ian Happ, according to a report by Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation. Happ was in his final season under team control and was slated to be one of the best hitters on next offseason's free-agent market. Given the SF Giants failure to add a star bat last offseason to a long-term contract, Happ was expected to be one of the best potential fits with San Francisco. Now, they will have to look elsewhere.

Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ high fives catcher Yan Gomes after a victory over the Cincinnati Reds. (2023) — Cubs outfielder Ian Happ high fives Yan Gomes after a win over the Reds. (2023) / Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Happ was the ninth overall pick by the Cubs back in the 2015 MLB Draft. Less than two years later, Happ made his big-league debut in Chicago and immediately became a core piece of the team's offensive attack. While the Cubs have traded or failed to extend most of the best players from the franchise's last title contender in 2017 and 2018, Happ is one of the only remaining pieces.

The Cubs are coming off two-straight losing seasons, and because of Happ's proximity to free agency, there was an expectation that Chicago might move Happ by the 2023 MLB trade deadline for a package of younger pieces, something that presumably would have interested the Giants. They technically still could trade him, but it is highly unlikely.

Happ played all over the diamond early in his career, seeing extended playing time at all three outfield positions alongside first, second, and third base. However, Happ has been the Cubs everyday left fielder for the past two seasons.

Happ is a career .250/.341/.461 hitter with 105 home runs in 688 games, making him the favorite to the best free-agent outfielder in the 2023-24 free-agent class prior to agreeing to this extension. He received his first All-Star Game selection last year and is off to a scorching start in 2023. In 10 games this season, Happ is hitting .314/.467/.514 with nearly as many walks (10) as strikeouts (11).

Angels star Shohei Ohtani will obviously be the biggest name in next winter's free agency. However, Ian Happ was projected to be one of the 10 best players on the market. Not only does Happ's extension with the Cubs take him off the market, but it also gives the SF Giants fewer external options to replace outfielder Michael Conforto if he opts out of his current contract and signs elsewhere.

Published Apr 12, 2023

MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).