Ian Happ on his future with Cubs: "You can only control what you can control" |
Chicago Cubs gold glove outfielder Ian Happ has seen a lot of turnover of the roster in the last few years with the ballclub.
Happ has seen Javy Baez, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras go to other teams despite the core winning it all in 2016. Happ knows that he has to be patient and let the process play out. “There’s no right way to do it,” Happ told the Sun-Times and “and that it’s very true that you can only control what you can control.” Happ was a first-time All-Star and gold-glover last season, hitting .271 with 17 homers and 72 RBIs. Despite Happ in his final year of club control, Cubs President Jed Hoyer doesn't want to rush the process. “Don’t hold me to this, but I don’t really love negotiating in spring training,” Hoyer said during the general managers’ meetings in November. “The more I do it, the more I think it causes real tension. Guys want to start the season. I’ve watched many deals fall apart in spring training. I just don’t think it’s a great way to start the season.” Hoyer doesn't want to back himself into a corner with any deadline. “I don’t think there’s any benefit of putting deadlines out there,” he said, “so it’s a fluid conversation.” It's clear that the Cubs are going through a period of transition, and it remains to be seen what the team will look like in the coming years. However, Happ remains focused on doing his job as long as he is a Cub.
