Cubs: 3 players we can’t believe Jed Hoyer didn’t trade
By Drew Koch
2. We can’t believe the Cubs didn’t trade Ian Happ
The trade rumors surrounding Ian Happ at the deadline were deafening. Every Cubs fan throughout Wrigleyville expected to see Happ traded; especially after he and catcher Willson Contreras had a memorable moment in the Cubs’ dugout after playing, what they thought, was their final game in front of the home fans.
But alas, Happ is still roaming the outfield in Wrigley Field. The former first-round pick has an OPS+ of 119 and has been an above-average player throughout his entire career with the Cubbies.
Happ doesn’t do any one thing great, but he does a lot of things very well. Combine that with the extra year of team control and it’s extremely strange that Jed Hoyer and the Chicago brass were unable to find a taker for the 27-year-old’s services at the deadline.
Perhaps Hoyer will still look to deal Happ, but preferred to wait until the offseason. With the Cubs rebuilding, it seems very foolish to hang on to a free-agent-to-be who’s likely to cost the franchise over $8M in 2023. While Happ is still on the team right now, that could change in a few months.