3 Cubs who survived the trade deadline but won’t be on 2023 roster

3) Cubs roster will not include Ian Happ in 2023

Ian Happ will go into 2023 with one year left on his contract. What do the Cubs do?

They can hold onto him and look to either flip him at the 2023 trade deadline as a rental or hope to extend him. Another move could be to trade him in the winter for several more controllable players. The Cubs can even get guys already in the major leagues.

It is curious as to why the Cubs didn’t trade Happ during an All-Star campaign. Again, we can speculate poor returns from potential suitors as one reason. In the offseason, with 29 teams to choose from instead of just the contenders, other avenues open up.

Happ could be a useful player on nearly every roster in Major League Baseball. The Cubs have utilized him in a variety of ways over the years. He’d be a nice player Chicago could trade for a young player blocked at his position. Teams should be lining up to add him.

Something else every fan should consider: Even if Happ isn’t a part of the 2023 Opening Day roster, a reunion could always be set for 2024. In fact, it should be. Another season of rebuilding fits in well with where the Cubs are. They shouldn’t be anyone’s early favorite to win the World Series that season but should be far more positioned to make some noise in the playoff race.