Chicago Cubs Sign Ian Happ to 3-Year, $61 Million Contract Extension

The Chicago Cubs have agreed to terms on a three-year, $61 million contract extension with outfielder Ian Happ, Bleacher Nation's Michael Cerami reports. Happ's new deal begins in 2024, locking him up through the 2026 season. The contract includes a full no-trade clause.

The Chicago Cubs have agreed to terms on a three-year, $61 million contract extension with outfielder Ian Happ, Bleacher Nation's Michael Cerami reports.

Happ's new deal begins in 2024, locking him up through the 2026 season. The contract includes a full no-trade clause.

After a poor 2021 season in which he entered the month of September slashing .199/.299/.681, Happ put together a career year in 2022, slashing .271/.342/.781 with 17 home runs and 72 RBI and earning All-Star and Gold Glove honors for the first time in his career.

Happ's 2023 season is off to a fine start. Through ten games, the left fielder is batting .314 with a .467 On Base Percentage and .981 OPS.

Happ's new AAV that will kick in in 2024 will make him the third-highest paid left fielder in baseball, behind only Christian Yelich and Juan Soto.

Happ, 28, will be 32 when his deal is up, after 2026.

After Happ and the Cubs failed to reach an agreement by the end of spring training, many believed that Happ would test the free agent market this winter. Others believed that Happ wouldn't fit into the club's long-term plans, given that the Cubs have three top-100 outfield prospects in their farm system, in addition to promising young outfielder Seiya Suzuki.

Happ seemed to believe that he would be traded prior to the 2022 trade deadline, as he and catcher Willson Contreras shared an emotional embrace in what they both seemed to believe would be the last game at Wrigley Field. Happ appears to be staying in Chicago, for the forseeable future.

It will be interesting to see if Happ continues to perform at an All-Star caliber level, or if 2022 was a flash in the pan.

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