Cubs Star Ian Happ Gives Blunt Take About His Future

The Chicago Cubs have a very exciting season ahead, in which they look more equipped to potentially make a deep playoff run than they have been in some time.

While nobody outside the building is thinking about anything beyond 2026, the job of the front office is to plan ahead, and the reality is that some very difficult decisions will have to be made next year.

Most of the attention here has fallen on Nico Hoerner's contract, but Chicago has another critical piece set to hit free agency as well in Ian Happ.

Clearly, Happ has shown a love for the city and playing in Wrigley Field, and if it were completely up to him, would prefer to be back with the Cubs. That is not the reality with the business side of the game, though, and it sounds like he knows that.

Happ was very honest when asked about his impending free agency, and while he has great respect for Chicago, he said he can't control what happens this offseason.

Happ sounds like he may not return to Cubs

"It’s been a true honor for me to represent this great city, organization and fan base," Happ said via team insider Bruce Levine. "The reality of this is you can’t control if the team wants you back. It's totally plausible another chapter elsewhere awaits me."

Ian Happ on free agency. “It’s been a true honor for me to represent this great city,,organization and fan base.The reality of this is ,you can’t control if the team wants you back.its totally plausible another chapter elsewhere awaits me.”
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) March 2, 2026

Happ does not sound like someone who wants to leave; rather, someone who has seen that the decisions are ultimately not fully up to the players as to whether they get to stay with their current teams.

It's entirely plausible that Chicago wants to try to re-sign Happ and keep him at the top of their order coming off one of the best seasons of his career in 2025. However, the 31-year-old seems to be prepared for whatever comes his way.

How much Happ could cost Cubs in potential extension

Ian Happ of Chicago Cubs tosses bat after strikeou — Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

As a guy who has been worth 15.7 bWAR over the last four years, players like Happ, who play defense at a Gold Glove level and get on base a ton, are among the most coveted types in baseball today.

This year will be the last season of Happ's three-year, $61 million extension he signed back ahead of the 2024 season, and it's reasonable to think he could be had for somewhere around that AAV once again.

It all depends on how long-term a deal Happ and his camp are searching for, but if another two or three years is in the cards, surely Chicago would love to have him. It will be one of the more fascinating storylines of next offseason, but the Cubs and their fans will, of course, hope it comes after another great season for Happ and for the team as a whole.