The applause battled with the loudspeakers in the Sheraton Grand Chicago ballroom Friday, drowning out parts of the player introductions from host Cole Wright. But Cubs left fielder Ian Happ repeatedly heard two pieces loud and clear — “All-Star” and “Gold Glover.”
“I listened to a few guys who were pretty good get announced like that when I was first coming up,” Happ said after the opening ceremonies of the Cubs Convention.
All the while, a back-and-forth between Happ’s representatives and the Cubs was playing out behind the scenes. Friday afternoon was the deadline for arbitration-eligible players and their teams to exchange salary figures. When Happ left the stage in the evening, it was unclear whether the parties would settle or head to arbitration. But late Friday, Happ and the Cubs agreed to a one-year, $10.850 million deal.
“This is the process,” Happ said earlier. “It’s not perfect, but it’s the process. It’s our [collectively] bargained right. And it’s pretty interesting to see how it goes.”
Happ, now in his third and final year of arbitration, beat the Cubs in arbitration once before. In 2021, his first year of eligibility, he won his hearing to the tune of $4.1 million. Now, he’s coming off an All-Star and Gold Glove year.
The Cubs avoided arbitration with three other players Friday, settling with infielder Nico Hoerner on a $2,525,000 salary for next season, infielder Nick Madrigal at $1,225,000 and right-handed pitcher Codi Heuer at $785,000, sources confirmed.
The next question: How many of those players can land extensions in the coming months?
“Historically, we’ve always tried to get extensions for players,” Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts told the Sun-Times on Friday. “It hasn’t always worked out for us. We know at times, it’s a pretty good strategy.”
Happ, in his final year of club control, and Hoerner, who was arbitration-eligible for the first time, are the obvious extension candidates.
“We have interest in both guys and keeping them long-term,” Cubs team president Jed Hoyer said. “We’ve started the process. We’ve had dialogue with the agents, and wherever that is in the process, I would never reveal — or what the offers are — but certainly, there’s a real desire.”
The mass sell-off at the 2021 trade deadline can be traced to the Cubs’ failure to extend their previous core. Talks with first baseman Anthony Rizzo, third baseman Kris Bryant and shortstop Javy Baez fizzled, and each entered his final year of club control with uncertainty looming.
In trading those three stars, the Cubs dove into the deep end of a rebuild, snapping shut their championship window less than five years after winning the World Series.
“We extended [Kyle] Hendricks, but every-body wanted to go ahead and test the waters in the free-agent market,” Ricketts said. “That’s their right as a player. I give them credit for betting on themselves.
“Extensions work for the team a lot of times. They worked for the player a lot of times. If there’s one that makes sense, I’m sure Jed will do it.”
There are several steps the Cubs can take to maximize their next window: continuing to strengthen the farm system, promoting development at the major-league level, anticipating roster holes. But extensions for homegrown players is a step they can take this winter.
“Don’t hold me to this, but I don’t really love negotiating in spring training,” Hoyer said during the general manager 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.”
Example A: Before the 2021 season, an exasperated Rizzo addressed stalled negotiations in a Zoom news conference, hardening his Opening Day deadline.
Now, Hoyer says he’d prefer to start extension talks earlier, avoiding opening and closing them over a six-week spring training. Happ said that would be his preference too.
“There’s so much uncertainty in this game,” Happ said. “And when you can get certainty at some point in your career — not that many people get to achieve that — it’s a pretty special thing.”
Securing a long-term deal with Hoerner early, before his first Gold Glove or All-Star selection, could be financially advantageous for the Cubs. But any negotiations with Happ have a more definite deadline as he approaches free agency.
“I’ve loved almost every second of playing here and being a part of it,” Happ said. “And [Wrigley Field’s] special, the city is special, the fan base is special, all those things. It’s the only thing that I know. And on the other side of that, there’s 29 other teams that are competing and doing a great job. And you earn the right to be a free agent — that’s a special thing, too.”
