Ian Happ hit 24 home runs for the Chicago Cubs in 2026, his fourth straight year with at least 20. The switch-hitter also brought four Gold Gloves to the open market. It’s easy to see why he came up when Detroit Tigers On SI looked at ways the club could upgrade its outfield.

The Tigers should pass. Detroit has room for a corner outfielder who can start against tough left-handed pitchers, and that matchup was Happ’s biggest weakness last year. His best defensive position is also the one Riley Greene already plays.

Happ’s Right-Handed Swing Is the Bigger Concern

Happ finished at .218/.326/.412 in 156 games, but the overall line obscured how differently he performed from each side of the plate. He hit .241/.358/.458 against right-handed pitching. From the right side against lefties, he hit .145/.217/.267, and Chicago cut back on those matchups late in the year. 

According to Baseball Savant, Happ struck out 52 times in 144 plate appearances against lefties. He hit .231/.319/.369 in those matchups in 2025, so there’s room for a rebound. For the Tigers, though, that rebound would be central to the signing. If Happ still needed to sit against difficult left-handers, manager A.J. Hinch would be looking for another bat on the days the club needed one most. That’s the matchup Detroit should prioritize as it looks for more right-handed power.

Detroit Would Be Paying for a Position Change, Too

Happ played center field earlier in his career, but all 1,243.2 of his defensive innings in 2026 came in left, per Baseball Savant. With Greene in left and Max Clark in line for center, Happ’s clearest route to regular at-bats would be right field. That would ask him to change positions while the Tigers waited to see whether his production against lefties recovered.

The price makes that bet harder to justify. Sports Illustrated’s Will Laws projected two years and $42 million for Happ, while Nick Selbe projected two years and $36 million. Both were predictions for other clubs. At that price, Detroit would be paying for an everyday player whose clearest offensive value came against right-handers. 

Detroit can still give Brett Callahan a look against righties, as he should earn more time in the Majors. If the Tigers make a significant investment in right field, it should buy them a player Hinch can pencil into the lineup when a left-hander starts.