Cubs Keep Willson Contreras and Ian Happ at Deadline
For the past couple of weeks the impression around the MLB was that the Cubs would be trading Ian Happ and Wilson Contreras. However, the 6pm deadline has passed, and both players seem to be finishing out the rest of the season on the north side of Chicago, first reported by Ken Rosenthal.
After months of speculation, the Cubs will pass the trade deadline without moving two of their biggest trade chips.
At exactly 5 minutes past the deadline Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic confirmed both would stay with the Cubs.
Cubs NOT trading Contreras and Happ, source tells @TheAthletic
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 2, 2022
What changed?
Around 5pm EST Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers said that it is possible the Cubs overplayed their hand, and set a price too high for the market.
Jesse Rogers & Jeff Passan both wondering on ESPN – not saying, but openly wondering – if Cubs overplayed hand on Contreras & Happ by holding firm to very high price tags up to this moment.
Rogers speculates further (this sounds right to me) that Cubs were really waiting on SD.
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) August 2, 2022
Jesse Rogers believes that the Cubs thought their best offer was coming from the Padres, but at noon today the Padres traded for Juan Soto and Josh Bell, depleting the assets the Cubs would have liked in return. The Mets, Rays, Dodgers, Astros, and White Sox were all reported to have had interest in one of the two if not both as well in the past week or two.
On a sentimental note, fans are sure to be happy both faces of the franchise are finishing out the year with the Cubs, who were busy trading their two best relievers Scott Effross and David Robertson.
However, if Contreras signs elsewhere this offseason, and Happ is not moved next year and also leaves in free agency after 2023, this deadline will be seen as a huge miss by the Ricketts and Carter Hawkins, especially if next season is also non-competitive.
In the meantime, Ian Happ seems fired up to be staying…
— Ian Happ (@ihapp_1) August 2, 2022
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