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While the Chicago White Sox top prospects have been the main talk of promising talent in the minor leagues, the Cubs No. 2 prospect Ian Happ has been steadily picking up where he left off after being designated to Triple A Iowa almost three weeks ago.
Currently, the infielder is slashing .311/.367/.733 with six home runs, 11 RBI, and a stupidly impossible .422 ISO. Happ is absolutely obliterating minor league pitching, just like he was doing while with the Cubs spring training club. While it may be tempting for fans to grow attached to Happ and his budding potential at the plate, the switch-hitting 2nd baseman/corner outfielder is the most enticing trade piece the Cubs have right now.
Ian Happ is the first PCL player since 2009 to hit 6 homers through the first 11 games of the season. Last player: Jake Fox with Iowa. #Cubs
— Tommy Birch (@TommyBirch) April 17, 2017
The Cubs are in need of young, impact arms in their farm system and have been since Theo Epstein took over in 2012. While adding a switching slugger in Happ to the Cubs lineup would be great, the club is already juggling playing time between Javier Baez and Ben Zobrist at second base. And both Jason Heyward and Kyle Schwarber are entrenched in corners of the outfield, so Happ is blocked entirely if he were to stay on the Cubs.
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I sat down with Jared Wyllys, the Editor-In-Chief of Baseball Prospectus’ Cubs affiliated blog BP Wrigleyville, and grilled him on whether or not he thought Happ was a trade piece. (You can listen to the entire interview on the 312 podcast here.)
“I think Ian Happ gets packaged for sure. Happ’s gonna get traded, and I think it’s this summer. He’s gonna be the guy that probably gets flipped somewhere for a pitcher in July.”
Wyllys was confident that Happ’s days as a Chicago Cubs prospect were numbered, however after talking to a few scouts and a source close to I-Cubs, the feeling seems to be that the Cubs are planning on keeping Happ – for the time being. With the Des Moines Register’s Tommy Birch reporting that the I-Cubs plan on giving him time at 3rd base, he seems to think the Cubs have committed to developing the versatile 22-year-old. I’ve also heard the Cubs have had a lot of coaches bouncing back and forth from Chicago to Iowa, as the Cubs want to get a better look at Happ and another Cubs top prospect Jeimer Candelario.
ICYMI: Ian Happ is going to start drilling at 3B later this month to add to his versatility. https://t.co/Ix67TRwfdR #Cubs #MiLB pic.twitter.com/aXvrlG1QCp
— Tommy Birch (@TommyBirch) April 16, 2017
This makes me think the Cubs see Happ more as a potential replacement to both Matt Szczur and Tommy La Stella. Happ’s ability to play the infield and corner outfield spots, along with being a switch hitter, he could make both of those players expendable. But, what do Szczur and La Stella bring back to the Cubs in a deal? Hard to believe that either of those players could net the Cubs the type of pitching they are currently hunting for.
Moving Happ is one of the few moves that could net the Cubs the young pitcher their farm system has been lacking, teams like the Tampa Bay Rays have showed a great interest in Happ this off-season, a deal involving those two clubs would make sense. It’s far too early for a trade of that magnitude to happen, but if the Cubs feel the right deal is in place, expect Happ to be the main piece that brings them their next young pitcher of the future.
