“While possible, a return for either Ian Happ or Seiya Suzuki does not appear likely, or at least not a priority.”
That’s Sahadev Sharma on the Chicago Cubs’ outfield situation entering this offseason, and it’s the baseline from which all other possible moves in left and right field are judged, since the Cubs *could* bring either or both outfielders back if that were indeed a priority. We can debate those merits, and certainly will do so whenever the Cubs make a move (presumably to complement the presence of Matt Shaw, Pedro Ramirez, and Kevin Alcantara, who together feel like not quite enough). But departures seem likely.
That is perhaps more the case with Suzuki, who figures to get a very large contract as one of the best bats on the market. With Happ, a reunion at a modest price has always seemed more plausible, and we’ve just been waiting to see what rumors pop up with interest from other clubs. My gut says the Cubs would be interested in bringing Happ back, but probably only in a situation where he found that the external market was not clamoring with the kind of deal the projections say he’ll get (three-ish years, $15-ish million per). If that market doesn’t develop, then maybe he comes back to the Cubs on a deal they can’t pass up – it’s not as if he isn’t still a useful starting left fielder.
Hey, here’s a rumor now:
The Mariners are interested in free agent Ian Happ, for some very clear reasons: Jerry Dipoto says improving defense is a top priority; Happ owns 4 Gold Gloves. Jason Kanzler knows Happ from their time together in the Cubs organization. @MLBNetwork @SeattleSports
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 11, 2026It makes sense in the ways Jon Morosi offers, buuuuuut:
For similar reasons, free agent left fielder Ian Happ is also an unlikely fit in Seattle, per sources.
— Adam Jude (@A_Jude) November 12, 2026Happ is not discussed in Adam Jude’s original piece, but he references “similar reasons” for not pursuing Teruaki Sato, and here’s part of what he wrote about that:
“His hitting profile also draws a large concern. First, he’s a left-handed hitter, which the Mariners have an abundance of on their projected roster. He has also embraced the modern style of hitting permeating MLB, which includes trying to pull the ball in the air for power and valuing exit velocity with aggressive swings, even on borderline pitches. That of course leads to a fair amount of swing-and-miss and chase out of the strike zone. His 164 strikeouts were the most in Japan’s Central League this past season. His career 27% strikeout rate shows only minimal improvement over six professional seasons in Japan.
Multiple scouts believe Sato’s swing-and-miss issues and willingness to chase out of the zone will be worse than Murakami, who had a solid overall rookie season with the White Sox while showing some growing inefficiencies.”
Jude also discussed Sato’s defensive limitations (not an issue for Happ in left), and his lack of plate discipline (also not an issue for Happ, as he is excellent at not chasing). The similarities seem to instead be limited to left-handed power and swing-and-miss, which, fair enough I suppose, but I’m not sure I see that as particularly close to Sato.
Instead, as we’ve discussed, the real issues with Ian Happ’s free agency are tied to his down 2026 season and the possibility that he’s becoming a platoon-only bat.
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