Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ has agreed to a three-year, $61 million extension to stay in what he called his “home.”
“It’s the place I always wanted to be,” Happ said. “I’ve been pretty clear about that for a long time. Just the fact that I have wanted to wear this uniform for as long as I possibly can made it pretty easy.”
The contract runs through 2026 for the 28-year-old Happ, who would have been a free agent after this season. He has made no bones about his desire to remain a Cub and has taken on a leadership role in the clubhouse since the 2021 trades of Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant.
The sides talked about an extension in the offseason but failed to get anything done before opening day. Cubs President Jed Hoyer said on March 30 they had “really productive and cordial discussion throughout the winter and spring” and that wouldn’t preclude them from trying to reach a deal during the season.
“That certainly doesn’t mean we can’t (get a deal done) in the future and doesn’t mean we don’t value him as a player and want him long term,” Hoyer said then.
Happ’s compromise meant taking fewer years than he might’ve gotten on the open market.
“I don’t know what changed or why,” Happ said. “Sometimes it’s hard to find the momentum (in negotiations). And once you get it, things can happen quick.”
Some players cut off negotiations once a season begins, but Happ obviously wanted to keep talking.
“To me, that’s always a player thing, the in-season stuff,” Hoyer said. “I don’t have to hit a fastball or play left field. It doesn’t affect me. I can sit at my desk any day.”
Happ has 105 career home runs and a .802 OPS in seven seasons with the Cubs. He made the National League All-Star team last season and won his first Gold Glove award. Going into Wednesday’s game, he had a .314 average, one home run and six RBIs with a .981 OPS.
Nico Hoerner signed a three-year, $35 million deal at the start of the season that also takes him through 2026, which would have been his first year of free agency. Happ’s deal is much larger, but the relatively short length of both deals is in line with the Cubs preference for not being tied up with too many long-term contracts.
Hoerner said he was “shocked and incredibly happy” about Happ’s extension.
“It’s significant extending players that started in this organization,” he said. “I think it means more here, and Ian is someone who was here for the last great teams, has had incredible highs in this game and struggled, like we all have, and found himself in a place now that’s as consistent as I’ve ever seen mentally from a player I’ve played with.”
Three years is not a long time compared with many free-agent contracts. But Happ will be a 32-year-old free agent in 2026 and should be able to command another lucrative deal if he continues at his current pace.
Hoyer maintained future payroll flexibility while keeping a player he and Chairman Tom Ricketts feel embodies the Cubs culture in the post-championship era.
“You want flexibility always, but at the same time you also want to keep really good players,” Hoyer said. “There’s that push and pull. We may regret later on not doing a longer deal, but for now this is a structure we agreed on and I think it made sense for both sides.”
Hoyer couldn’t get deals done with Rizzo, Bryant or Javier Báez, who were traded at the 2021 deadline, or Willson Contreras, who left as a free agent last fall and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. The common denominator is they all wanted long-term deals, while Happ settled for three years.
“I definitely talked to Rizz through the process,” Happ said. “Seeing those guys and being there, especially with Rizz, through the process and learning from his (experience) and having his guidance.
“Everybody is at a different point in their career and on a different path, but for me, just to be able to be here and get the deal done in a structure I felt made a lot of sense for me is really rewarding.”
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