The Cubs would like to keep both Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki in the fold, but that kind of wish list can get expensive in a hurry.
Chicago’s pitching staff is going to need help, too - one or two starters and at least a few more bullpen arms - and that reality could force a choice between the two outfielders. Suzuki’s younger age and offensive production figures to make him a strong draw once he hits the open market, which is why a reunion with Happ has started to look like the more realistic path.
Bleacher Report’s Erik Beaston pointed in that direction, noting that Happ’s exit may not be as inevitable as it sounds. “As much as it may seem as though Happ is on his way out, and the veteran player has even discussed as much, a new report suggests that is not necessarily the case,” Beaston wrote.
The report Beaston referenced came from The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma, who said bringing Happ back on a “team-friendly” deal remains possible. They also laid out why the Cubs might still value him despite how divided the fanbase can be on the subject: “As polarizing as Happ is among the fanbase, bringing him back on a team-friendly deal isn't entirely out of the question. He's an above-average performer at the plate, a four-time Gold Glove winner, and a valuable presence in the clubhouse,” they wrote.
Happ’s season gives that case some real weight. In 156 games, he posted 2.9 bWAR, hit 24 home runs and finished with a 103 OPS+. He also continued to be an above-average defender in left field.
And beyond the numbers, there’s the simple fact that Happ already knows the market and the market knows him. The Wrigley Field crowd has never been shy about showing how much it likes him, and that familiarity could matter if the Cubs and Happ can find the right agreement.
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Cubs Offseason May Come Down To One Bat Jed Hoyer Can't Lose
Seiya Suzuki has become one of the more stable pieces of the Cubs roster, the kind of middle-order presence and steady outfield defender a front office does not want to go searching for twice. After a season in which he supplied consistent value on both sides of the ball, he sits near the center of whatever Chicago decides to do next, especially with the offseason beginning to sharpen the choices Jed Hoyer has to make.
The wrinkle is that the market may not make this easy. Toronto is reportedly interested in Suzuki, which only raises the stakes for a Cubs club trying to decide which bat it can afford to keep and which path it is willing to take elsewhere. Shota Imanagas uneven work and shaky playoff showing have given Chicago a separate decision tree, but Suzuki is the name that could define how bold or cautious this winter becomes. [Read more 🡒]
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The squeeze comes from the few decisions that are not nearly as straightforward. Arias and Austin are obvious non-tender candidates this offseason, but the bigger challenge is how the Cubs sort through the middle of the roster when payroll flexibility is at a premium. It leaves Hoyer and his staff trying to balance future value against immediate costs, and it is exactly the kind of lineup-and-budget puzzle that can shape the tone of a winter before the first move is even made. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Face One Defining Youth Question As Roster Changes Loom
With the Cubs eliminated from the playoffs, the focus is already shifting from the present tense to what comes next, and there is no shortage of roster work ahead. Chicago has several players it can imagine as part of the next wave, including Pedro Ramirez, Braxton Garrett and Kevin Alcantara, but the winter is shaping up to be more than a simple retool.
A number of familiar names are likely headed for different outcomes, with Edward Cabrera among the players viewed as likely to be moved on from. Add in multiple free agents and options that are not expected to be exercised, and the Cubs are staring at a stretch in which the front office will have to sort out not just who stays, but which young player ends up being the one who defines the next stage. [Read more 🡒]