Friday was a busy day for the Chicago Cubs in many aspects.
While it marked the beginning of their fan convention it was also the last day for them to avoid arbitration with some players.
For outfielder Ian Happ, it was the day that he and the Cubs came to an agreement for his 2023 pay.
The deal, which Happ gets $10.85 million by 2023, helps the Cubs avoid arbitration with him.
Ian Happ – Chicago Cubs
$10,850,000.— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 14, 2023
Happ is a key part of the Cubs’ defense for 2023, as he’s coming off a Gold Glove season in 2022.
However, the lack of a contract extension could come from his inconsistent offense each season.
While he’s solid defensively, he’s been a work in progress with his offense.
But his 2022 season was a breakout season for him on both sides, as his defense was great and his offensive numbers saw improvement.
He posted a career-high in doubles while lowering his strikeout percentage to 23.2%.
Early in his career, strikeouts were a major area of concern with him, as he had a 36.2% strikeout rate during 2018 according to Baseball Reference.
While the strikeouts are improving, he needs some additional improvement with his batting.
His .271 batting average from 2022 was a career-high for him, but has been all over throughout his career.
Since 2017, he’s seen three solid years of batting in 2017, 2019, and 2022.
However, 2018, 2020, and 2021 all saw him regressing from previous career highs.
If he can show a steady or improving offensive performance in 2023, he will get the extension he deserves.
Until then, fans can only hope they keep this young star after the 2023 season concludes.
