The Chicago Cubs might lose Ian Happ this offseason.
It'd be a disappointing outcome for the Cubs' fanbase, who has grown to know and love Happ so well as he has spent his entire professional baseball career so far with the Cubbies.
Free agency often siphons players away to new places, though, and that could be what happens with Happ, too.
At the end of the season, he was pretty honest in recognizing that there was no guarantee he'd wear a Cubs uniform again.
Still, Cubs fans will be keeping an eye out for any clues that could bring some good news. One that is at least a positive sign arrived on Saturday.
The Cubs' season is over, and while the World Series is going on between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays , Chicago's players are getting up to some other activities.
That includes a quartet of Cubs going to a college football game on Saturday. They watched Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns top Trinidad Chambliss and the Ole Miss Rebels.
Happ was one of the four, shown in an Instagram post by Alex Bregman:
Clearly, guys can remain friends even if they're on different teams, and the fact that Happ went to a football game with Bregman and Pete Crow-Armstrong doesn't necessarily change his free agent outcome.
It does make clear, though, that Happ has friends on Chicago's ballclub. That can always help produce a particular solution in negotiations. Maybe Happ would be willing to take a slight discount to remain where he feels comfortable.
The impending lockout complicates things, too, but that won't go into place until December 1. If the Cubs and Happ want to get a deal done to stay together, they'll have time to do that.
If Happ remains a free agent when December arrives, though, there'll be more concern about his potential departure.
Happ was chosen No. 9 overall by the Cubs in the 2015 MLB Draft.
He made it to the major leagues with the Cubs in 2017 and immediately hit 24 home runs in a strong rookie season.
He's been a great presence both in the outfield and as a switch-hitter at the plate. He was won four Gold Gloves.
Happ's best season by Wins Above Replacement (4.3) was 2022, his lone appearance in the All-Star Game. He hit 42 doubles and 17 home runs that season while hitting a career-best .271.
This season, Happ hit .218 with 24 home runs and a .738 OPS.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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