Ian Happ Trade Rumors: MLB insider names 2022 All-Star OF as potential target for NL East giants to address their offensive woes

Ian Happ's start to the 2024 MLB season may have been slightly slower than usual. However, that does not mean that the Chicago Cubs outfielder has not garnered interest from other teams, especially as the July 30 trade deadline draws ever nearer.

In a recent piece for MLB.com, analyst Mark Feinsand listed Ian Happ among the names that the Phillies are currently interested in. According to Feinsand, the Phillies are short-handed when it comes to outfield options, and Happ could be just the sort of player to fill the void.

"Gold glover, Ian Happ with a spectacular running catch at the wall." - Caleb Noble

In his piece, Feinsand highlighted the fact that, although Nick Castellanos is heating up, the Philadelphia Phillies remain relatively short-handed when it comes to outfielders. Bryce Harper has been playing first, and Kyle Schwarber is out with an injury. This means that the appetite for a competent bat exists in Philadelphia's outfield.

Over the course of his eight seasons playing with the Chicago Cubs, Ian Happ has earned himself a reputation as a solid fielder and competent hitter. The Pittsburgh native put up one of his best all-around seasons in 2023, registering a .248/.360/.431 slash line to compliment his 21 home runs and 84 RBIs.

However, Happ has been one of his team's strongest hitters of late. In his past 14 games, the 29-year-old has hit .289 with a team-best OPS of 1.073. Regardless, it may be inevitable that he will be a top candidate to be moved at the trade deadline.

"Ian Happ has Wrigley JUMPING." - Foul Territory

Now 39-46, the Cubs sit last in the NL East, some 11.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. Given the fact that the Phillies are known to have a deep wealth of prospects, perhaps trading Happ with two years left on his contract is a likely outcome.

Ian Happ maintains optimism for Cubs season

Happ's eleventh home run of the season in the tenth inning against the Giants last Thursday helped the Cubs register a 5-3 win in the Bay. In his post-game comments, Happ seemed sanguine when offering his take:

“We’ve played a lot of them, we’ve been right there. … being competitive in games and giving yourself a chance a lot, but coming up on the right side of it, you know, I think we’re just trying to build off that momentum and keep that going into the next series"

Although Thursday's win was significant, several more will need to be registered if Happ wants to stay off the trading block.