Ian Happ may have given the Reds a little more than a casual compliment before free agency even arrived.
The Cubs outfielder, who is entering a murky offseason after a down year and a late-season shift into a platoon role, sounded open enough to at least acknowledge what Cincinnati has building. That matters because Happ sits in an awkward spot for Chicago: he could still fit into the Cubs’ plans if the price is right, but it would not be a surprise if he ends up elsewhere in 2027.
The comments came in September, when the Cubs were busy with a playoff push and the interview could have slipped by unnoticed. Happ spoke with Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer while the Cubs were in Cincinnati. Wittenmyer, who used to cover the Cubs, knows Happ’s background well, and the conversation naturally turned toward the Reds and what they’ve assembled.
Happ didn’t go so far as to signal any future interest in Cincinnati, but he did leave the door cracked with his praise.
“How that impacts anything in the future, I don’t know,” Happ said. “But it is a special place.
And I think that they have a good group over there on both sides of the baseball, some really good young players. “Plus they have Willie Harris and Tito (manager Terry Francona), and that coaching staff is great.”
That kind of quote is exactly the sort of thing that gets reexamined once free agency is on the horizon.
There’s also a baseball reason the Reds keep coming up in the conversation: Happ has tormented them. In 69 career games at Great American Ballpark, he’s hit .290/.394/.614 with 19 home runs. That’s easily the most homers he’s hit at any park other than Wrigley Field over the course of his career.
So on paper, the fit makes sense. Happ has wrecked the place, he spoke warmly about the organization, and the Reds could use a player like him.
But the market may not cooperate. Cincinnati has not exactly built a reputation for spending at the top of free agency, and if Happ is willing to take a discount, the safer bet would seem to be the Cubs.
Chicago could also attach the qualifying offer to his free agency, which would only make him more difficult for other teams to land.
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