Cubs' free agent Ian Happ praises Reds, but a Kyle Schwarber rerun looms

Cincinnati Enquirer beat reporter Gordon Wittenmyer recently spoke with free agent to-be Ian Happ, and the Chicago Cubs' outfielder had plenty of praise for the Cincinnati Reds organization and coaching staff.

“It is a special place. And I think that they have a good group over there on both sides of the baseball, some really good young players," Happ said. “Plus they have Willie Harris and Tito (manager Terry Francona), and that coaching staff is great.”

As most Reds fans are aware, Happ starred for the Cincinnati Bearcats during his collegiate career, hitting .336/.462/.551 across three seasons before being selected by the Cubs in Round 1 of the 2015 MLB Draft.

Happ has spent his entire career with one of Cincinnati's biggest division rivals and has been a thorn in the side of the Reds for years. In 141 career games against the Reds, he has a .269/.381/.558 slash line with 66 extra-base hits, including 34 home runs and 93 RBI.

The numbers are even more inflated when you look at his performance inside the hitter-friendly confines of Great American Ball Park. Happ has hit .290/.394/.614 in 69 games at GABP over the years, giving rise to the idea that signing him to a lucrative free-agent deal this offseason would greatly enhance the Reds' lineup.

Happ will be one of the most sought-after bats on the free agent market this offseason. He arguably the best outfielder available outside of Randy Arozarena, and certainly has a much better résumé than the likes of Randal Grichuk, Taylor Ward, and Adolis Garcìa.

Reds' hype surrounding Ian Happ brings back Kyle Schwarber vibes

But this manufactured hype surrounding Happ and the Reds feels eerily similar to last year's pursuit of Kyle Schwarber, doesn't it? Remember how those so-called "Cincinnati ties" were going to be enough to tug at Schwarber's heartstrings and entice him to take a hometown discount? Don't forget, he's from Middletown and grew up going to Reds' games as a kid.

But in the end, the Reds' pursuit — albeit an honest one — fell woefully short and Schwarber re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for $150 million over five years. Baseball is a business, after all, and money talks.

The same thing will be at play this offseason. Sentimentality is great if it's paired with a legitimate offer, but Happ isn't going to take a hometown discount to come play in front of his friends from college if another organization is offering him more money. He's actually from Pittsburgh, and is more likely to go play for the Pirates next season if they offer him enough on the open market.

None of this is to suggest that Happ would be a poor fit in Cincinnati — though that's certainly debatable as well. Happ's splits were pretty dramatic last season, and a post-All-Star break lull somewhat sullied his overall production. Still, no one is going to argue that the Reds could use a big bat in the middle of the lineup.

With last year's failed pursuit of Schwarber fresh on the minds of the Cincinnati faithful, Reds fans shouldn't get their hopes up with the idea of Happ returning to his old stomping grounds will be any different.

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