MESA, Ariz. — Ian Happ’s magic carpet ride this spring came to its inevitable end Monday as part of a round of cuts that took the Cubs’ spring training roster down to 31 with six days left before the season opener.
Happ hit .417 this spring, which would have put him second in the Cactus League if he didn’t fall just short of qualifying plate appearances. He had an .833 slugging percentage and a .473 on-base percentage. General manager Jed Hoyer said he’ll open the season at Class AAA Iowa.
“Listen, he’s a major-league player, absolutely,” manager Joe Maddon said, adding that Happ could earn a 2017 debut. “He is in the conversation. Now it’s up to him to go out there and perform at a level that indicates that he’s ready right now. Spring training and the regular season, even in the minor leagues, is entirely different.”
Despite the shortage of qualifying PAs, the switch-hitting Happ led the Cactus League in RBI and was tied for fourth in both home runs (five) and hits (20). He also tied for third in total bases (39).
“I thought he improved over the course of time here defensively, which is great,” Hoyer said of Happ, who can play second and the corner outfield spots and will work on more versatility in the minors.
“Offensively, what was not to like?” Hoyer said. “He hit the ball hard every at-bat for six weeks. It’s always fun to see a young guy like that come in and open a lot of eyes.
“Whenever you’re in AAA, you’re always a call away. Sometimes it happens quicker than you think. We never expected [Addison Russell] would be up in April of [2015], and I feel like Willson [Contreras] last year, if you asked me in spring training if he’d be up in June, I probably would have thought it would be more like a September call-up. You never know.”
Officially, Happ and fellow non-roster players John Andreoli and Taylor Davis were reassigned to minor-league camp. Two others were optioned to Iowa: pitchers Eddie Butler and Rob Zastryzny.
NOTES: Rule 5 pitcher Caleb Smith, who has no avenue for making the roster, is in limbo as the Cubs explore options for possibly keeping him (via trade with his original team, the New York Yankees) while waiting to make sure no injury openings occur in the next day or two. A Rule 5 player must be kept on the major-league roster or be offered back to his original team for half the draft price.
• Look for the Cubs to take their final roster decision — outfielder Matt Szczur or infielder Tommy La Stella — down to the final hours before rosters must be set before Sunday’s opener. They’re listening on potential trade offers for Szczur, but there appeared to be little movement on that Monday.
Follow me on Twitter @GDubCub.
Email: gwittenmyer@suntimes.com
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