The Cubs will recall infielder/outfielder Ian Happ from Triple-A Iowa for this weekend’s series against the Brewers, reports Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register.
It’ll be the first big league action of the season for Happ, a former first-round pick and top prospect who has spent the entire season with the Cubs’ Iowa affiliate. Strikeout issues have long plagued Happ, and this year’s 26.3 percent in Triple-A is a bit high. The 24-year-old Happ is hitting .242/.364/.432 overall, which is a roughly league-average line (by measure of wRC+), but he’s been on an absolute tear this month. In his past 19 games (86 plate appearances), Happ has hit at a superlative .348/.477/.652 with five homers, four doubles and a triple. He’s punched out 18 times in that span (20.8 percent).
A corresponding roster move for Happ’s return isn’t yet known, although Kris Bryant did depart yesterday’s game with some knee discomfort. It’s possible that he needs a few days or even an IL stint, although the Cubs also have an underperforming veteran in Daniel Descalso. He’s playing in the first season of a two-year contract, which may impact any decisions the team makes on his roster status.
Bote or Almora is going down
Descalso
They can’t option descalso they have to DFA him to move him off the roster
They’ll DFA Descalso if they’re smart
Bote signed multimillion deal in the off season. Not going anywhere unless he is traded.
That deal was to avoid arbitration years its not like they paid him handsomely
Almora isn’t going anywhere
I would be shocked big time if either one of them is sent down
Descalso dfa? Please
Finally. Guy had a bottom falling out type season last year. the K% was too high even for this era, and his power numbers dipped…
But he still got on base at a higher clip than any of the platoon options that have taken up space on this roster – Almora, Schwarber, Bote, Descalso, Russell, etc…
Bryant to the il?
Bryant to IL.
Showcasing Happ for trade.
No… Bryant is listed as day to day… just soreness. You’re just being that guy to try and freak out cubs fans because the White Sox are trash
It says in the post he could ohtani need an IL stint, so it’s not like he’s just randomly speculating. If 10 days of no Bryant causes a freak out, that says a lot about the state of the Cubs.
Context dude ♂️
Wow. Way to be an illiterate jerk. No wonder people older than 25 hate going to Wrigleyville.
Hahahahahaha this troll
It was also just reported that the move will more than likely be a reliever so there you have it… iDiOt
Unless Jed Hoyer point blank lied today, Bryant is playing tomorrow.
I don’t think anyone will miss Descalso. I don’t see Bote going down or Almora.. Caratini maybe?
Caratini maybe? is a big no he ain’t going anywhere.
Like I said maybe. However I would throw a going away party for Descalso and Strop. Every time I see Strop wearing his ball cap crooked I just want to slap him.
Bote’s not going down cuz he’s their best 3B to rest KB. Not Moving Descalso, so it’s either an IL stint for KB or Almora is going down.
I’d guess Bryant is going to IL.
Happ definitely could use some exposure for trade bait. Any which way you slice it, Epstein/Hoter will do something surprising before the deadline.
Descalso gets DFA would be my prediction.
Bryant not going on Injured list with sets against the Brewers and Cardinals coming up.
Descalso. Wouldn’t be the first time that the Hoyerstein regime has sent a bad player with a non-expiring contract packing. Jose Veres comes to mind, but there have probably been others
Um…why did Bote get that contract again?
because it’s 5yr/$15M starting next season. It gives the Cubs control over him 8 seasons, including this one. Why would you not sign a plus defender/utility player to that contact?
I’m not criticizing it (much) but he’s nothing special with the bat or glove. But I’m glad he’s locked up until he’s 32.
It’s a very friendly team contract. He does play different positions. He plays hard and is good enough as a player as he isn’t a liability each time he hits the field or goes to bat.
I heard the live interview with Birch when the news broke.
We will wait and see.
Given where the Cubs are at financially and the extensions they may have to offer in the next few years, Happ regaining his form would be huge. Also, if their inability to develop pitching continues–who knows. They certainly won’t be able to afford filling out a rotation via free agency and will lack the trade chips necessary to net solid, controllable starters.
That narrative is a bit dry. They have admitted that in the past they have drafted bats with the intentions of trading for pitching since predicted success is much easier with hitters. However recently they have walked that back and drafted the tar out of pitchers this year to restock the system.
The last few drafts have been loaded with pitchers. If you go to their minor league rosters you can see they have some good prospects. Wouldn’t say great but worth keeping an eye on.
Almora will go down hitting below .200 last two weeks
Collins will be DFA’d
Damn you are right.
Who couldn’t use a guy with a 26% K rate at AAA? Theo/Jebb, you’ve got work to do.
Aaron Judge 36% k rate eloy Jimenez 30% k rate . Outs an out
Outs not an out. No runners advance on KO, virtually no chance of an error on the play or beating out a hit.
Almora isn’t going anywhere
Happ….hits righties better and that’s pretty much all you’ll be facing with the Brewers/Cards series. Plus if he is a trade chip his value can only go up if he plays well.
The most likely scenario is that they’ll put Wick or Collins back on the shuttle to Iowa or Brach or Strop on the IL.
Happ up, Collins down.
This is most loogical. –
Everyone is speculating whom will be optioned down or DFA. The obvious answer is someone is getting traded and probably a package deal that will create the open roster slot. Cubs are carrying 3 catchers and 8 bullpen guys, so probably Victor + Veteran bullpen arm for minor upgraded Left handed arm and room for Happer.
How is that the obvious answer? In the event a trade left the team with an open roster spot, filling that open spot would be the corresponding move. A trade is never the corresponding move. Not only are you suggesting that the report is backward, your’e saying it’s “obvious.”
I too, recall an Ian Happ. Wasnt he a troubadour, athlete or poet of some note, in the fifties? Good times
it is a showcase because happ and a fringe prospect are going to net the cubs noah and diaz according to cubs fans
I’ll bet it took you a half an hour to come up with that snappy dud.
First off, literally no one has ever even suggested that. But if you want to play that game, then fine. I’ll say it. Diaz is just your everyday, flash-in-the-pan, one good season, closer. If the Mets could call a mulligan on that trade, they would. The only value on the guy is literally the value of the GM saving face by not giving him away for a fraction of what it cost to acquire him. He has a 4.81 ERA and an 86 ERA+ to go with his 1.45 WHIP. He’s complete trash. And Syndergaard? He hasn’t pitched a full slate of games since 2016, and his ERA has risen every year he’s been in the big leagues, topping out this year at 4.33 with a 95 ERA+. He’s been a below average pitcher going on a year now. If he continues on this path, he’ll be traded for a backup catcher next summer just like the once untouchable Matt Harvey was last summer.
Come on, the Cubs will make an offer of Russell, Heyward and Edwards for Syndergaard, Diaz and deGrom. That’s what most Cubs’ fans think how trades operate at the deadline.
Thanks for stopping by. I love seeing salty trolls waste their time on teams they hate. Enjoy!
With an off day today and Monday, I look for them to send down a reliever. I look for the cubs to feature Happ and Caratini this weekend, and by Tuesday, both will be gone and the cubs will be short a few minor leaguers, and have a lefty reliever and a new outfielder with decent speed and can hit leadoff.
Once again the cubs come full circle. They had a good leadoff hitter with decent speed in Dexter Fowler, remember? Suddenly Theo’s not looking so genius-like on his post-rebuild roster moves.
Given Fowler’s dropoff in St. Louis, it seems like one would argue that not resigning Fowler at his asking price was actually one of Epstein’s smart post-rebuild roster moves.
No doubt Theo has made a lot of mistakes, but that wasn’t one of them.
Loved Fowler in 2016, but he hasn’t done much since he became a Card. It was time to let him go, rather than give him a huge contract.
I kind of agree but Fowler was a great fit for the team and the lineup. He made the lineup go. We haven’t had a leadoff man since he left. We will never know.
There showcasing Happ…then trade the strikeout machine to tigers for castellanos….
Now that the White Sox no longer have a shot at the playoffs, there is an opportunity for the Cubs and Sox to pull off a trade that would fill several holes in the Cubs roster.
Leury Garcia, Yomer Sanchez and Alex Colome for Ian Happ, Pedro Strop, and two or three mid level Cubs prospects. It makes sense because the Sox are going to bring up Robert and Madrigal shortly and Strop could close for the rest of the year for a mediocre Sox team plus the Sox get Happ who would immediately be their DH. The Cubs get a lead off switch hitting centerfielder and a second baseman/ back-up short stop way better than anything they have put on the field this year and a really good eighth inning reliever. It makes way too much sense to ever get done especially after all the Cub fan whining about the Quintana trade.
No more trades with the White Sox their players suck in return!!!
Ha!
So u admit Hahn fleeced you with the “Q” trade!!
So who was sent down or DFA’d as result of Happ coming up?
I saw a 1:1 with today’s trade.
But aren’t the Cubs still one too many?