Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ has heard enough trade rumors in his career that he’s now able to tune them out.
“At some point, you get numb to it,” Happ told The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney. “You get numb to it, and you just have to go do your job every day. I’ve said this before, we’ve all been through a stretch where there’s been rumors. Playing in this market, whether it was the offseason or midseason where that kind of stuff was swirling, you’ve been through it at some point.”
Happ, 27, has spent his entire career with the Cubs since the team drafted him ninth overall in the 2015 MLB Draft. This season, he has a career-best .288 batting average with 36 RBI through 69 games. Happ has been particularly hot, as of late, with a .358 batting average, two home runs and seven RBI in his last 15 games.
With a contract set to expire after the 2022 season and Chicago near the bottom of the standings at 27-44, he’s a logical player to generate trade speculation. The 2022 trade deadline is set for Tuesday, Aug. 2.
Last season, the Cubs were sellers at the deadline, sending away cornerstones Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant.
