Ok, so the internet is ablaze with talk about keeping Ian Happ on the Chicago Cubs roster. From Facebook fan pages to Reddit, to Twitter, to your Uncle Dale. Why wouldn’t there be talk? Ian has impressed more than any Cubs prospect since Kris Bryant batted .425/.477/1.175 with 9 home runs and 15 RBI in the spring of 2015. Thus far, Happ has done his best Bryant impression, batting a robust .417/.473/1.270 with 5 homers and 17 knocked in.
By all measures, Happ has earned a role on a big league roster. Except… he hasn’t.
The highest level of ball Happ has played at is Double-A where he hit .262 and saw his walks drop dramatically. His success this spring has come against the likes of Micah Owings (hasn’t thrown an MLB ball since 2012), Luis Perdomo (5.71 ERA in 2016), and Minor League pitcher Barrett Astin.
I am not taking away from what he has done this spring, I just want to set a little context.
I also want to set the expectation that, while Happ has had a great spring, he very well could return to Double-A Tennessee. At least that is what Cubs director of player development Jaron Madison told FanRag Sports in January.
“He’s gonna probably start the year at Tennessee this year; he’ll be primarily second base, but we’ll still expose him to the outfield just to keep it sharp,” Jaron Madison said.
“And then it just depends on needs at the big league level. Hopefully, he’ll get up to Iowa at some point during the season this year. There’s really no push to get him up there that quick, but his performance will dictate how quick he moves.”
Happ is very much still in the developmental stage of his career. The Cubs already have a tough decision to make for the last roster spot, it is unlikely that an unproven Double-A player leaps over tested major leaguers.
Further, I’m not convinced Happ spends more time in the Cubs organization than he spends elsewhere. With Zobrist firmly owning most second base starts, Baez clearly the heir apparent, Happ is the odd man out there. Some will suggest putting Happ in right field, but they don’t incorporate the amount of difficulty it takes to play the outfield in Wrigley.
With an already suspect defensive player (Schwarber) getting a ton of starts in left, why would the Cubs put another defensively challenged player in right?
I would love for the Cubs to have another masher in the middle of their lineup, but at what expense? Do you substitute giving up a run to hit a home run? But isn’t that what they are already doing with Schwarber? With Joe Maddon already stating that the team won in 2016 because of their defense, why break something that works?
I seem to keep hammering this point, but with Jake Arrieta and John Lackey expected to leave, the Cubs have a far greater need for pitching than hitting. What better way to acquire pitching than to trade a prospect that improved his already high stock?
Recently there was a connection between the Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Alex Cobb. But the Cubs have also been linked to Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, and Alex Colome. Happ would be the perfect piece to allow the Rays to part with one of their fine young, and inexpensive pitchers.
Sorry to all those thinking Happ is going to be the next great Cubs hitter… I just don’t see him sticking in the organization that long.
