(670 The Score) When the Cubs signed All-Star left fielder Ian Happ to a three-year contract extension worth $61 million last week, it marked another investment in their competitive window that’s now open.
Happ’s contract runs alongside those of shortstop Dansby Swanson, second baseman Nico Hoerner, right fielder Seiya Suzuki and others on a Cubs team that's off to a 9-6 start. As Happ signed his contract extension, he recognized what it represents for the future of the club.
“The Chicago Cubs are always going to compete,” Happ said on the Bernstein & Holmes Show on Tuesday. “The Chicago Cubs are in a situation now where there’s a bunch of good players. Everything is pointing to a very good team this year that has the capabilities to do a lot and then the continuation of a lot of those players still being here next year. I think that’s what they are trying to build here, a situation where it’s not a three-year window – the Chicago Cubs are going to be a good baseball team competing every year for a very long time.”
Happ’s contract extension begins after this season and runs through 2026.
The 28-year-old Happ was a National League All-Star in 2022, hitting .271 with 17 home runs and 72 RBIs. He also earned a Gold Glove for his performance defensively in left field. Happ was the No. 9 overall pick to the Cubs in the 2015 MLB Draft. He made his debut with the Cubs two years later.
The Cubs visit the Athletics on Tuesday in the second game of a three-game series on in Oakland. First pitch is set for 8:40 p.m. CT and can be heard on 670 The Score.
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