‘He’s the Chicago Cubs’: Ian Happ — team’s longest-tenured player — faces uncertain future after playoff exit

SAN DIEGO — Dansby Swanson fought and failed to keep himself composed.

Swanson wasn’t the only one struggling in the visitors clubhouse at Petco Park with the weight that he might have played his last game with the Cubs’ longest-tenured player.

The team’s early exit from the playoffs with a 4-1 loss to the Padres in Game 2 of their National League wild-card series Wednesday brought a harsh reality in the postgame clubhouse. Key members from the past two playoff teams are impending free agents and unlikely to return, a group that includes left fielder Ian Happ, who has spent the last 10 big-league seasons representing the organization.

“I mean, it’s emotional, it’s tough and such a good group in this room, I can’t begin to kind of explain the character of the people and the relationships here, and so that makes it makes it hurt, makes this thing worse,” Happ, 32, said. “My only thoughts after the game are how brutal it is to have that kind of regular season and then have two games to be done. It’s a really tough place to be, and obviously there was bigger plans for this group.”

When the topic postgame shifted to the possibility of that being his last time taking the field with Happ, Swanson gushed about his impact, both on himself and the Cubs.

“He’s meant a lot to me,” an emotional Swanson said. “I think he truly embodies what it means to wear the jersey, and I know he would probably never say that himself. But the kind of tradition and legacy that I feel like he’s carried on from that ’16 team, just the lessons that he has learned. He’s taught me a lot.

“He’s my longest friend I’ve had here,” Swanson added with a shaky voice and tears welling up in the corner of his eyes. “I think that probably speaks enough for itself, but he embodies the Cubs more than anyone I know. He’s a big reason why I’m here and very thankful for him.”

Pete Crow-Armstrong has played along side Happ in the outfield since debuting in the majors in 2023. He might have two new corner outfielders next to him in 2027 with Seiya Suzuki also becoming a free agent after the season. Crow-Armstrong took a moment to search for words to explain what Happ has meant to the team over the years.

“I don’t really know how to feel about it until any stuff’s final,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I mean, Happer, he is the Chicago Cubs, and he’s worn the jersey very well, and I know he loves this place, and he kind of helped teach me how to love this place and play here. And he’s played a very big role in this version of me so far up to this point.”

Happ and Nico Hoerner have been teammates the longest in the Cubs clubhouse, dating to when the infielder reached the majors in 2019. Their lockers in the home clubhouse are just steps away from each other. They have leaned on one another through a challenging rebuild that at the time didn’t guarantee either would still be part of the organization when the Cubs finally did get back to the postseason.

“It’s really hard to replace like just a long time together in baseball, that’s a really challenging thing,” Hoerner said. “I feel like he’s a person that so much chaos throughout a season and changes and this and that and new staffs and slumps and great successes and it’s just a really grounding, great feeling to have someone literally next to me in the locker room that I know sees things in a similar way that I do and kind of communicate without talking.

“I know that I’m fully vulnerable and open about whatever I’m struggling with or having success with, and it’s nice to just have an unfiltered person that you just trust with everything. I’m going to be fortunate to play with so many amazing people in this game. But you talk about eight years or whatever, it’s hard to replicate.”

Happ knows his future in Chicago is in flux. It’s why he made sure to soak in the Cubs’ final homestand last week, understanding it could be his last time wearing that uniform at Wrigley Field. Happ, who signed a three-year, $61 million extension early in the 2023 season, could warrant strong interest for someone with a strong track record in a weak free-agent market.

Although he understands the business side of the game, Happ enters an unknown process as he reaches free agency for the first time in his career.

“When you’re in a place for 10 years and you love it and it’s special and it means something to you, it’s a beautiful thing, but it makes it challenging,” Happ said. “It’s been an incredible place for me. It’s been special. It’s given me so many moments and memories. I think about how I wouldn’t have met my wife if I wasn’t a Cub and I wouldn’t have all these incredible experiences and played on these amazing teams with the number of great players and great people. I’m just incredibly lucky to have been a Cub and started my career here and gotten to do all this.”

In all the years since the Cubs took Happ in the first round of the 2015 draft, he still remembers the admittedly corny phrase the organization used: “That’s Cub.” It always stuck with him. As he rattled off some players from that era who exemplified that phrase — Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Schwarber, Javier Báez, Dexter Fowler, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Kyle Hendricks, Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist — and the way then-manager Joe Maddon preached the hard 90, Happ spoke in a revered tone at what their example meant and their long-lasting impact.

“They made that important, and (Rizzo) was the ultimate example of being a Cub, and I learned so much from him, and it was something I really wanted to carry on,” Happ said. “I wanted to be an example for this franchise and wear it on my chest, and I feel like I’ve done that. I’m proud of that.”

If he has his way, will he back with the Cubs next season?

“All I can say is that I love being Cub,” Happ said. “I’ve loved my time. I’ve loved the place, the people, Wrigley Field, the fan base. It’s been truly special, and I don’t think there’s a better place in baseball to play.”