Where does Ian Happ fit after Cubs’ recent push for contract extensions?

After the Chicago Cubs recently made substantial long-term investments in two of their core players, homegrown outfielder Ian Happ said Tuesday that “there’s nothing to report” in terms of his contractual status.

Happ is beginning the final season of the three-year, $61 million contract extension he signed in April 2023, a deal that was finalized nearly two weeks after a perceived Opening Day deadline.

The timing of that contract extension, however, is generally viewed as an outlier when a player is this close to becoming a free agent. The Cubs already prioritized certain players with pushes toward the end of spring training. In-season negotiations can create distractions.

Happ’s future is to be determined now that the Cubs have closed six-year deals for All-Star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong ($115 million) and Gold Glove second baseman Nico Hoerner ($141 million).

“This year it’s about us proving that we can take that next step and win the division,” Happ said, “and be a team that is better than the version that we were last year.”

Winning 92 games and a playoff round last October was particularly meaningful for Happ, who made his major-league debut with the defending World Series champs in 2017, an experience that deepened his appreciation for the city and added to his institutional knowledge.

Crow-Armstrong, 24, has cited Happ as a strong influence at the start of his career, in terms of learning how to handle the difficult conditions as a defender at Wrigley Field while also trying to maintain a consistent offensive approach and emotional level.

Hoerner also gave Happ a special shoutout during the news conference heralding his second contract extension. For years, the two first-round picks have kept nearby lockers in the clubhouse, giving them a shared history and unique perspective on the organization’s evolution.

After witnessing the breakup of the remaining members of the 2016 World Series team, Happ and Hoerner signed contract extensions during a rebuilding phase, hoping to be part of the next championship-caliber club.

“We have a group that really understands what it takes to get through 162 games,” Happ said. “It’s a confident group. It’s also an experienced enough group to understand that the way you get there is by doing the little things right daily. Having this idea that you’re just going to roll out there and it’s all going to be smooth, that’s not how it works.”

Indeed, the fast start hasn’t yet happened for the Cubs, a 2-3 team after Tuesday night’s 2-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, which followed a series loss to the Washington Nationals to open the season at the Friendly Confines.

The Cubs, though, can accurately project what they should get from Happ, a remarkably consistent player who produced three home runs in March, a confidence boost considering how this can be such a pitcher-friendly ballpark early on.

“It’s always good to get zeros off the board,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said, laughing.

Besides Happ and teammate Seiya Suzuki, the list of outfielders potentially available next offseason is rather underwhelming. In that class, there won’t be an outfielder equivalent to Juan Soto or Kyle Tucker. Names such as Randy Arozarena, Trent Grisham and Daulton Varsho will likely be near the top of the next rankings of free agents.

Even after their recent expenditures, the Cubs are still positioned to shed an enormous amount of money from their payroll after this season. At the moment, Roster Resource estimates their total 2027 commitments are under $130 million when accounting for the luxury tax.

Perhaps Matt Shaw will eventually outgrow a super-utility role and establish himself as an everyday outfielder. Maybe Kevin Alcántara will get called up from Triple-A Iowa this summer and show he belongs at Wrigley Field. But those internal options are not yet proven.

Over the previous five years, Happ played between 148 and 158 games each season, a sign of his durability and switch-hitting ability at a time when teams are constantly hunting for matchups.

In the past four seasons, Happ’s bWAR remained steady at 4.3, 3.5, 3.9 and 4.0. His OPS+ in that time frame — 117, 118, 120 and 120 — made him a solidly above-average hitter. Since 2022, FanGraphs calculated his annual contributions to be worth $29.7 million, $25.9 million, $28.5 million and $22.4 million.

But all that sounds like part of a much broader conversation for the offseason. The Cubs are focused on following their process.

“It’s a long season; there’s ups and downs,” Happ said. “We really understand that this group has the ability to take care of the little things, to play unbelievable defense, to take care of the baserunning stuff, to beat teams by doing all the little things right. We’re going to have days where it’s an offensive barrage. Our pitching staff is going to pick us up on some days. But it really is just attention to detail.”