Would Ian Happ approve TRADE from Chicago Cubs to Cincinnati Reds?

Would Ian Happ approve TRADE from Chicago Cubs to Cincinnati Reds?

Ian Hap had another Ian Hap year, but could he be on his way out? Go Cubs. You are Locked on Cubs. Your daily Chicago Cubs podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. You are Locked On Cubs, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your team every day. Alongside Sam Olber, I’m Matt Cozy. Sam and I are lifelong fans, taking our passion into discussion with you on all things Cubs. Today’s episode is brought to you by Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, use code locked on MLB for $20 off your first purchase. Lot of news and notes to wrap up uh later in the show. And we start with Ian Hap who in 150 games in 2025 slashed 243 342 420 with 23 home runs, 32 doubles, and an OPS of 762 later in the show. We’ll also talk about this uh 25 campaign could be his last in a Cubs uniform. Uh Sam, a lot of ways we can start here. This has been uh the longest uh tenur Cub at least at the major league level, Justin Steel in the organization and uh is I I believe I heard the other day the longest running Chicago athlete as well. Yeah. Yeah. Um I have some stretches here I I’ll I’ll reveal later. He’s been an up and down player throughout his career, but eventually he did get to his his his overall numbers in totality as Jed Hoyer might say. The case for Ian Hap season is that he a lot of bad luck. uh his his final numbers of 243 342 420 as you mentioned when you go to the expected stuff which you know I’m not a huge fan of doing um but I’ll do it for this case you know his expected batting average was 267 so that’s 24 points higher than than what it was his expected slug was 472 uh that’s about uh uh 52 points higher uh than what it was so when you when you dive into that stuff it just feel like he was a victim of of the Wrigley Field situation and and other things u across the board. And uh I I mean with Hap I I feel like a broken record uh but it just feels like his his path to his success is too up and down. He is what you would call consistently inconsistent and Yeah. And it just you just need to shrink the um the valleys I if you will. And I just think based on where this team is at with the way that they hit. I just think his style it’s just it’s a little redundant, you know? I mean, how many guys do you feel really good about just putting the bat on play in a big big spot and and he’s not one of them? And and I think that’s where the frustration comes wi with him, which isn’t typically his fault. Uh or or or his fault at all. It’s just based on how the lineup is and how it’s constructed. But but I think Hap had a nice year. We haven’t done the gold glove thing yet, but but he’s he’s a I I I don’t watch a lot of left field play. I I thought Hap had had again I thought he had a good year defensively, but left field’s the easiest position. But to be in line, what would this be? fourth straight gold. Fourth in a row. Yeah. I mean, I I think that’s kind of crazy. That’s impressive. Yeah. In the postseason, he batted 100. Um, wait a second. He bat He batted 100 even. What was that? Three for 30 or something. Yeah, three for 30. Uh, no, I don’t mean to laugh. I I actually almost want to apologize, but I just He He I didn’t realize it was that low. I thought it was maybe like uh a dollar and some change, but not a dollar either. He did have his biggest moment as a Cub, that home run ball in in game four against the Brewers, but that was one of his three base hits uh in the postseason. And you know, you just look at it month by month. I mean, great month of September, great very good month of August, always finishes the year strong. horrendous uh month of July just batting 179, you know, not very good in June. Uh uh not very good in May, you know what I mean? So, uh it’s just it’s just a very up and down player that Yeah. You know, at one point I believe you called an all-time Cub great, which I just still Well, he of the last So, you know what, and that reminds me, I forgot to write this on my offseason uh sheet. We were starting to brainstorm last winter and I think we should do it between now and the new year. The top 20 because top 25 of the last 25 years. Yeah, he’s not on that list. He’d be 20. He I think it’d be like 25th. Maybe 24th. He’s not the one of the greatest Cubs of all time. Whoever said that is that that’s or it’s a bad game of telephone. I just think in the last Okay. 25 years, he has a case for maybe the last spot. Okay. But but just because he’s been long tenure doesn’t mean he’s one of the best Cubs ever. Or would you say he’s a better Cub overall than Ben Zbrist? No. Okay. So I So like Zobris by Z would be higher on that list. Rizzo, Bryant, Hris, West are on the Sosa Lee Ramirez. I mean, the list they name would never be in competition with H. Never. So I So you think you’re telling me I how could it be in competition with them? Excuse me. But you and you’re telling me that there’s there’s not 20 names out there. I need to put pen to paper. Yeah, you might be right. But he’s if he’s not 25th, then he may be his 30th or 31st. Sosa’s on that list ahead of him. You know, just for those few years. Uh why why would you Did you really just bring up Jake Artetta? Well, I’m just in my head. I’m just so many better than Ian Half. No, but there’s just so many names that come to mind before I would go to Half. Well, you listed about seven names. I put Is that all I listened? Listen. I think so. Chapman would be ahead of him. No. No shot. He was here a half a year. Yeah, you’re right. You’re right. Maybe you’re right. Okay. You know, I’d put Fowler ahead of him. No shot, man. Yeah, I put Fowler ahead of Hap. You And he was here for two years. He won a World Series championship. He let off in center field. You go, we go. So he’s one of the best. Dexter Fowler is one of the greatest Cubs of the last quarter century. I would just put him ahead of half. All right. A a right after this, we’re going to take a look at how what’s the grades? Well, no, we’re going to do grades. Okay. After this. Okay. Yeah. Or should we do them now? You know, it’s up to you. Here’s what I got. Okay. Because you talk about Ian happy being up and down. There was a 39game stretch from June 7 to July 25th. He hit 170. But then his last 38 games he had 297 with a 399 on base ops of almost a thousand. And Sam, is it just me or do he he does that 170 stretch, but then there’s the stretch like I’m talking about to end the year where Marquee will put up a graphic on the screen. Mhm. And they’ll go best, they’ll backdate it to whatever date and they’ll go best OPS since, right? And it’s one judge, two Otani, three half and it’s like what? Yeah. And that happens twice every year. And yet this guy gets gets gets so much uh uh vitriol would be a strong word. But but but the the navigation of this dude’s career, it is up and down in in the commentary because of how up and down he is. I’d give Hap a C for this season. Okay. Well, I I would give him a B minus. Okay. Okay. B minus. And this could be his last season with the Cubs. We explain next. This episode is brought to you by Game Time. There’s nothing like catching a baseball game live. The energy, the crowd, the chance to see your team in person, but actually getting tickets, that’s the tough part. Cues, login screens, surprise fees, it takes all the fun out of it. That’s why I use Game Time, the app that gives the advantage back to fans. Game time is fast, easy, and backed by the Game Time guarantee. You’ll always get 100% authentic tickets delivered on time and at the best price. Plus, all fees are included, so the price you see is the price you pay. I’ve used Game Time for every Cub game that I’ve been to. Uh, it’s the best. You you you get tickets right away. You could literally wait up to first pitch. The prices go down. Fees are included. Know your total upfront with no surprise fees at checkout. So download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code lock.mlb for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, that’s promo code L O C K D O MLB for $20 off. Swipe, tap, ticket, go. Download Game Time today. Shout out to the Everydayers. You can become a lockdown cubs every day by joining us for every episode throughout the week, which is five days per week all off season long. The Cubs could really increase their flexibility this off season if Ian Hap is willing to wave that no trade clause of his. Uh you remember in the opening days of the 2023 season, he and Hap agreed to a contract extension that goes through 26, but it also had a full no trade clause for some reason. And he’ll make $19 million in 26 after making 21 in 25 and 24. It’s a little bit of a uh a pay decrease there. And Sam, I have to wonder if an inner division trade would be the best route here. Uh the Cubs would have leverage with with perhaps no trade clause, just him individually have have some leverage. But I I have to wonder if the Reds and Pirates could be fits for him. He went to the University of Cincinnati. He grew up in Pittsburgh. I’m going to give you his numbers at Great American Ballpark in a minute or two, but as as the the the story lines about Kyle Tucker continue, you wonder about a possible right field DH rotation between Seiya Bisteros and Casey. But if you want to dream of a Kyle Schwarber, dream of a Pete Alonzo, then someone has to go. and they, you know, to to keep the right-handed slug Sam with Seiya, I think Cap would ideally be the one to depart. Um, he he’s built up a lot of equity here with with his coffee company, his podcast. He’s beloved by the the the bleacher uh creatures and left. Uh but but this is this is a business and if Jed Hoyer can show up on David Ross’s doorstep on a Monday morning and release him, he sure could trade Ian Hap. But the problem is that Hap has a no trade clause and and there’s been reporting locally that the Cubs have gone to him before. In fact, they went to him even before I mean they almost traded him before the extension in the opening days of us taking over the show. he was almost traded. At least there was rumors about him going and after the extension, you know, they have gone to him a couple times, including uh prior to the 24 deadline. I I know that. But um Sam, if they want to increase their flexibility, Ian Hap will will not be a Cub in 26. Um sorry, I got something in my eye. Uh, look, always a fan of your work uh on this show and uh, you know, Oh, you think this is a big reach, huh? I, you know, have so much respect for you. Forget our friendship just professionally. Uh, so much respect. I think there’s a bigger chance of Kyle Tucker being a Cub next year than Ian Hap not being a Cub. I would be shocked if he waved his no trade. Um, I think he likes it here. He has all the leverage, all the power. Um, I would be shocked. Would it be good for the Cubs? Yes. But I would be surprised. Now, to your point, what’s the case? The case is he’s going into a walk year and he wants to get paid and it’s not he ain’t going to get paid with another full year of Wrigley Fields winds blowing in. So the way he goes, he gets paid. Well, where does he hit the ball the best? Cincinnati, u Pittsburgh. So that’s the case. So I respect that part of it. But first of all, if he were to wave it, would the Cubs want to trade a I’m not going to use the word beloved, but but but a but a 10-year guy to a division rival, especially Cincinnati. That’s going to be a team you are going to be competing with whether you like. Yeah, that’s a good team. They made the playoffs in in the postseason. You want to make that deal? I I I doubt it. Um would just be very surprised. I I I have Ian Hap locked in uh to left field for the Cubs next year. I wonder if he’s one of the guys Jed is talking about potentially extending in the off season. I feel I feel like that’s probably more likely than the latter. I just I don’t see Ian Hap who really likes Wrigley Field. I I don’t see him waving as no trade. I just don’t. Yeah, I think Ian Hap’s going to be a red and I think the Cubs will get a a younger pitcher uh back back for him. Who would they get for him? Well, they could get, you know, a younger pitcher back for him. Maybe a starter. Uh maybe maybe a reliever with some control. And you think the Reds pay his full 19 million? I do. I do. They do that because they they were a playoff team in 25. They want to take the next step in 26 before the sport uh hits the ceiling. They have a lot of young talent around there. They can insert a veteran presence like Cap every day in left field, every day hitting leadoff or fifth orever they’re going to hit him. And and and he could, you know, he’s like Barry Bonds there. uh slashline career 291 393 619 18 uh long balls in 63 games at the great American ballpark and uh and the Cubs are just going to facilitate that. Hey, hey, go to Cincy hit first. Well, if you want to sign Kyle Schwarber, you will. If you want to sign Pete Alonzo, you will. If you want to sign Alex Bregman, you will. Yeah. Well, Alex Bregman apparently wanted to come to the Cubs last year and correct. How do you want how are you going to make this team better? One of the routes would be trading Ian H. Absolutely. But he has all the say and and he’s not going to Pittsburgh. No one wants to go there. If his only say is Cincinnati, I don’t feel comfortable doing it. Now, if he comes out and says, “Hey, I’d love to go play a year in in New York or uh you know, with the Yankees or Boston or are you scared of him in the division?” I don’t want to make Cincinnati’s problem that their offense is not good. Ian Hap is fantastic in Cincinnati. I don’t want to do that. Wow. Now, I would do that if it meant absolutely nailed on. we get one of those guys. But I don’t think Hap would wave. I that’d be a really a really surprising decision uh for him. I I I I just get the vibe that he’s he wants to to be a Cub as long as he can. Well, we still have a full say episode to go. That one is more likely. So you wouldn’t necessarily put put So you’re are you you’re putting Hap’s name in pen pretty much right for 26 or just about just about. Yeah. And Seiya would be in pencil then because I think Sea is more likely to wave his no trade to a team that would make more sense for the Cubs. That that’s that’s my gut. I personally don’t think either guy’s going. I don’t see I I just don’t I from what I heard I’m starting to turn a corner on Seiya. I don’t want to I don’t want I don’t think I want to see him go. I I think they are going to keep this group. So, they’re going to keep they’re going to keep the band together. Yeah. And then see what happens with Tucker and then adjust from there. Yeah. I I I don’t know. I mean, if Hap were to wave it from Hap’s perspective, you make a great point that why not go to a place where you know you’re going to hit because he’s in a walk year. Do you think Craig Council should bat HAP lead off to begin the 26 campaign then if he remains here? No. Bush have that job? Yeah, Bush probably. Wow, that’s moving. Yeah, that’s far away. Maybe it’ll be, you know, somebody else. Maybe Schwarber. That’s crazy, you know. That’d be really cool, man. Really cool. All right. Uh, also Sam’s favorite stat, War Hap was a top 100 player in baseball last year. Uh, 2.8 wins above replacement, ranked 76th in baseball. Wonderful. The 76th best player in baseball is a no trade clause. Coming up next, we have a lot of news and notes. Glo Gold glove finalist, a couple uh, one surgery, one guy rehabbing from surgery, and uh, the Brewers got swept. Stay tuned. This episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NFL season is here and FanDuel is an offer you don’t want to miss. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and get 300 in bonus bets if you win. That’s right. Pick a bet, put down five bucks, and if it hits, you’ll unlock $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Folks, I gave out a couple plays uh this weekend. I had Cincy covered. Uh the Jets and Justin Fields were abysmal. That was a loss. Uh Cleveland covered. So two- one on this football weekend. I’d like to close it out by dropping Detroit minus 5 a half on Monday Night Football. The beloved with four wins in a row for the first time since 1990. Uh so what are you waiting for? Visit fanuel.com to download the FanDuel app today and get started. Make sure you’re subscribed to Locked On Cubs. Fix that, folks. On your preferred audio platform or YouTube. That way you don’t miss any of the great Cubs content we’ve got for you. All right. Gold Glove finalist Matthew Boyd, Carson Kelly, Nicoer, Matt Shaw, Ian Hap, and Pete Crow Armstrong. Dansby Swanson after receiving votes last year and winning it in 23. Not a finalist. and PCA will win that. I think Boyd should win it. Her should win it. Hap has to beat Tommy Fam and Kyle Sters. If Hap does win, it would be his fourth gold glove in a row. I think Shaw would be an upset win and Kelly would be an upset win as well. Sam, thoughts on the Gold Gloves. Who’s the catcher candidates again? Uh Carson Kelly, Patrick Bailey, and Luis Torren, former Cub. And who’s the favorite in that? Bailey. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and Shaw would have to be Kabrian Hayes. No, that’s Hayes is a lock. Um, I I really am not fully understood on why Swanson isn’t in it. I guess they just do the numbers now, the OA and the uh the DRS and all that good stuff. Uh for for me by eye test I think Danby Swanson’s as good as anybody in baseball and I find it almost insulting that he’s not one of the finalists. I really do. Uh it’s appalling. Yeah. Is Boyd a finalist because of pickoffs? Is that does that play a part in the gold glove? Uh it must, right? Because he was he’s he dots he dots. Yeah. I mean, pitcher gold gloves are always tricky, but I just don’t ever recall myself just going, “Man, Boyd’s just phenomenal at fielding his position.” That never registered in my head this year, but maybe maybe I’m I’m missing that. Um, yeah, I think Pete’s going to win it. I’ll say this with Pete, as great as he is defensively, they’ve got to be do a better job communing out communicating out there. They they they had too many balls dropped between guys because guys were afraid he was going to get it. I think that’s his last step to be He’s been like that for a couple years. Yeah. Because it’s he’s a victim of his own success. Guys just think he’s going to go after everything. So I think I think that’s where spring training, you know, may maybe every day about 7 8 a.m. Arizona time HP and whoever’s playing right field, they come out and and they just get balls hit to them in the gap and just work on how they’re going to communicate that. Right. So you’re saying that and when would that begin? January, you think they would? Whenever spring training starts? Yeah, February. Yeah, usually that’s February. Uh, her should win it. Yeah. So, Sam, I was just I was just confirming it. Yeah, Xavier Edwards. I I think that would be an upset win at second, but the Horner Terra battle is really curious. I I do I do wonder if Terra wins it over him. Um, I’ll tell you what, Terra didn’t do much of his hit in the postseason, right? and uh like to pull up his numbers. Go ahead. I’m going to do that. Uh yeah, the Brewers. Well, anyway, uh yeah, so I’m I’m hopeful about Nico Sam. And by the way, he would be the guy they should went four for 35. He batted 114 in the postseason. A Hoarder extension would be towards the top of my priority list if I was running the team. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it’s definitely reactionary off the last year, but I think you want to keep a guy like that. What does that look like? Like four for 75. Uh yeah, I was even thinking like five for 90. Wow. Okay. Something like that. Yeah. Uh Kevin Alcantra underwent surgery last week for a hernia. Alcantra had a solid year at Triple A, but never was able to get it going in a bench roll for the Cubs. He could be a trade chip this off seasonason or a bench option in the outfield to begin the 26 season. Justin Steel told Marquee his rehab has been quote pretty flawless and the Athletic did report recently that Steel would start playing catch this month, maybe as soon as uh this weekend as we’re recording. Uh nice for the Cubs to know they could uh plan for steel to be ready for much of 26 if not all of it. Though in my opinion that shouldn’t impact their pursuit of a top of the rotation guy this off season. Uh curious your thoughts is that as well. But yes, but uh good updates there. 100%. I think I think next year next year when you’re starting to roll in August, it should be steel. It should be Cade. It should be Boyd. It should be Tyion if if everybody’s healthy. And then Yeah. You know, depending on what they do with Shodda, you know, hopefully another monster, but maybe it’s Jackson Wiggins. I don’t know. Well, if everyone’s healthy going into September next year, Sam. Yeah. Uh please do a six-man rotation, right? So we could just go all out in the play. Have you heard any any leans yet on Imanaga and the Cubs? I mean, I’m fascinated by that decision. I haven’t heard anything. Yeah, that that one like like isn’t that one that if it was a lock it would already be like Bruce or somebody saying expect the Cubs to to pick up showed his option already? Dropping some hints. Yeah. Yeah. There hasn’t been one. There hasn’t. So, and finally, the Los Angeles Dodgers are returning to the World Series as they attempt to be become the first back-to-back champions since the 99 and 2000 Yankees. first NL team to repeat since I believe the Big Red Machine. And uh I’d have to double check that. But is it fair to say is it fair to say that they’re trying to be the first back-to-back World Series champion since the Clinton administration? That would be that would that is true. Yeah. Right. Right. Because that’s correct. Yes. Well, well, I guess technically when they won in 2000, Bush was probably already in office, right? Or no, no. with the ele the 2000 election would be after that, right? Just after. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So, I was right. Yeah. Yeah. And uh the Dodgers beat the Brewers who uh six days after eliminating the Cubs got eliminated uh themselves. Sam, your thoughts on that that series as the Dodgers made the Brewers look like a junior varsity team? Go ahead. I think I think the Brewers lost a lot of credibility in my eyes. Um, I expected them them to compete uh at a high level in that series. I expected the Dodgers to win, but I expected the Brewers to compete. I don’t know if it makes me feel better or worse about the Cubs situation. I guess better in the case of I’m just kind of fatigued of the Cubs Brewer stuff and it’s like congrats, you literally didn’t you didn’t even you went one round further, but you didn’t even win a game. And um you look up and it’s like, okay, uh uh uh well, we got to face the Dodgers, you know what I mean? We got to face the Dodgers and and that seems like the the place to to to to to get better at and it’s just going to be tough. Yeah. Like who’s going to finish second to them? Yeah. Yeah. It felt like that. Feels like that right now. Yeah. Well, and but but that could be further further uh reasons for my Final Four take. Yeah. But you don’t want to. No, I I hear you. I hear you. You don’t want to settle, but I hear you. I hear you. You know, I mean, the way the Dodgers are practical the the the way the Dodgers are pitching right now, it’s uh No, it’s crazy. It’s tough tough to compete against. All right. Well, we we will continue to uh do our review series this week and next. And then the following week would be a lot of the hot stove starting. Uh free agency and trades do open up 5 days after the World Series ends. So that’d be around that time anyway. And uh look forward to the next couple of weeks. This is and beyond. This is Lockdown Cubs, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. Your team every day for your second listen. Check out Locked On MLB Game Night. Every game, every night, all season long. Get local analysis on a national scale. Find MLB Game Night on the Lockdown Movie channel on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. Bears got a big win as well, Sam. Huge four. I’m Sam Ober. I’m Matt Cozy. This is Lockdown Cubs. Go Cubs.

Find out why Ian Happ could waive his no-trade clause and how it would increase flexibility this offseason for the Cubs. Plus: Grading Happ’s 2025 season, Cubs have six Gold Glove finalists, and more.

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