Ian Happ could be a costly distraction from the Reds' real needs

Even before the offseason began, Ian Happ was popular name among Cincinnati Reds fans. The free agent outfielder has haunted the Reds since making his Major League debut with the Chicago Cubs in 2017, and his college tenure at the University of Cincinnati always brings back fond memories. But is Happ really the best fit for the Reds?

Slotting Happ's bat into the Reds lineup behind Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart would certainly help to bolster an offense that was among the worst in Major League Baseball last season. But Happ isn't going to come cheap, and the Reds have far too many holes on the roster to sink so much money into one player.

Ian Happ's price tag should take the Reds out of the running

Depending on who you trust, Happ could earn anything from a two to a three-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) between $15-$22 million. The Reds forked over that kind of cash in 2023 when they signed Jeimer Candelario to a three-year, $45 million deal, then released him after less than two years.

In addition to the costly contract, Happ didn't have a great showing in 2026. His final line looks good enough — and the 24 home runs help to prop up his overall performance — but his .218 batting average was the lowest mark of his career, and his on-base percentage (.326) hadn't been this poor since 2021.

Add to that his struggles against left-handed pitching last season, and the Reds could be staring a very expensive platoon player. Happ crushed right-handers to the tune of an .816 OPS, but that number dipped to .484 when a southpaw was on the bump.

Cincinnati has JJ Bleday under team control for two more seasons, and while he doesn't play Happ's level of defense in left, he was just slightly below league-average. Bleday had a .224/.338/.441 slash line with a 114 wRC+ against right-handers last season, so the idea of adding becomes somewhat redundant.

None of this is to suggest that Cincinnati should abandon the idea of finding outfield help for next season, but perhaps the team should look for a player who actually compliments Bleday in left field. A player like Tyrone Taylor, Randal Grichuk, or even former outfielder Austin Hays would be a better fit, and the low cost would allow Cincinnati to address the multitude of holes that still exist on the roster.

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