Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ in December paid $3.09 million for a 3,395-square-foot condominium in a newly constructed, 16-story luxury condo building in the West Loop.

Happ, 29, has spent his entire seven-year career with the Cubs, and was an All-Star in 2022. He signed a three-year, $61 million contract extension with the team last year.

In the West Loop, Happ’s three-bedroom condo is one of 58 in its building. His unit has 3 ½ bathrooms, herringbone entry floors, arched doorways, top-of-the-line kitchen appliances, cabinetry by Bovelli Custom Millwork, bathroom fixtures from Lefroy Brooks and a living room fireplace provided by South Side fireplace manufacturer Atelier Jouvence.

The real estate agent who represented Happ in his purchase, Nancy Tassone, declined to comment on the purchase.

The unit has a $937 monthly homeowners association fee, in addition to an unspecified property tax bill.

Happ is one of the few current Cubs to own a place in Chicago. Shortstop Dansby Swanson and his wife, Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson, paid $3.5 million last year to buy a six-bedroom, 7,000-square-foot mansion in Lakeview from former Cubs President Theo Epstein and his wife, Marie. And starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks has owned a six-bedroom house in Lakeview since buying it in 2017 for $2.18 million.

Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.

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Faux SoxFest weekend begins Friday, with White Sox fans seeking a proper substitute in the absence of the annual fan fest and the team trying to make some news in the dead of a Chicago winter.

A season ticket holders event Friday at the Field Museum basically takes the place of the traditional SoxFest, which was canceled during the pandemic in 2021 and never resumed. The Sox aren’t promoting it much, hoping not to look as if they’re simply responding to fans who believe SoxFest was canceled to avoid the expected griping.

As of Thursday, no media availability was scheduled for Friday’s event, suggesting the Sox want this to be a private gathering between the organization and its most loyal, paying customers. Hors d’oeuvres will be served, which also might explain why the Sox don’t want the media around.

The Sox are betting they still can garner media attention on a slow sports weekend in Chicago, without the bother or expense of planning a huge, multiday event.

On Friday, the Sox announced the return of SoxFest in January 2025 to mark the 20-year anniversary of the 2005 World Series team and the 125-year anniversary of the organization.

If the Sox make any news from the Field Museum, it likely would be leaked first by individual fans, perhaps via Sox Twitter (or Sox X, if you must), to the fans who weren’t invited. Obviously fans have many questions for the Sox brain trust, from the lack of major offseason moves to the Dylan Cease situation to the possibility of a new South Loop stadium.

There’s also newly signed broadcaster John Schriffen to discuss, as well as the one he replaced, Jason Benetti. And what’s the progress of the investigation into the mysterious gunshots in the left–field bleachers?

Any new theories, chairman?

If a normal SoxFest were in place this weekend, it would be the first time for general manager Chris Getz to explain his plan to fans, just as former GMs Ken Williams and Rick Hahn faithfully did most of the last two decades, with mixed results. A SoxFest without some creative tension is not a true SoxFest.

It would be a great opportunity for manager Pedro Grifol to explain why he expects things to be different in 2024, with a lower payroll and holes in the rotation, bullpen and infield. And marketing boss Brooks Boyer could explain how he plans to get people in the seats in a ballpark the team seemingly admits is not worth preserving.

Meanwhile, the potential South Loop Park has gotten a generally positive reception without any details being announced. Wouldn’t it be perfect to reveal the renderings at SoxFest?

Alas, for those fans who aren’t invited to the Field Museum, a Faux SoxFest will have to suffice.

What is that? According to reliable sources, a Faux SoxFest contains all the elements of the real deal, except without players to sign autographs, executives to yell at about their decisions or memorabilia booths selling action photos of former catcher Carlton Fisk tagging two guys out on one play at the plate.

At Faux SoxFest, there’s no need to drive to McCormick Place or a downtown hotel and pay for parking, an admission fee or maybe even a hotel room. All you need is a few chairs, some cold beverages and three or more fellow Sox fans to discuss the state of the organization. Malört is optional. Anyone bringing up Justin Fields is promptly shown the door.

Sox therapy is free to dispense and always welcome, no matter what time of year. A Faux SoxFest would reduce the team’s carbon footprint while helping fans relieve stress caused by the compulsive and unnecessary refreshing of the mlbtraderumors.com website.

It’s undeniable this has been a lousy winter for Chicago baseball fans, no matter which side of town you call your own. But the fact the Cubs held their downtown fan convention while the Sox had none is particularly galling to some Sox fans. A new season deserves to be celebrated in the winter, when there are no losses, no injuries and no random shootings.

Players are usually in a great mood, including Eloy Jiménez, who recently told A.J. Pierzynski’s podcast, “Fair Territory,” that he would hit more than 40 home runs in 2024 “if I’m healthy.”

That’s not exactly his MO, but it’s never too early to think big. The ‘24 Sox have to rely on Jiménez, Luis Robert and Andrew Vaughn to carry the offense, assuming they don’t deal Jiménez along the way.

But that’s a topic to be discussed this weekend at your local Faux SoxFest, where people are all the same — and where everybody knows your name.

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DENVER — It was a battle of buyers and sellers at Ball Arena:

The Colorado Avalanche, who loaded up for a Stanley Cup run before Friday afternoon’s trade deadline, playing host to the Minnesota Wild, who just parted ways with three veteran forwards.

It didn’t go as expected.

Brock Faber tied the game with a wrist shot from the circle midway through the second period, and Filip Gustavsson stopped 36 of 37 shots in regulation, but Valeri Nichushkin scored on a 3-on-2 power play to send Colorado to a 2-1 overtime victory.

Kirill Kaprizov was called for hooking Cale Makar with only 42 seconds off the clock in OT to give the Avalanche the crack they needed. The Wild nearly killed off the penalty, but Nichushkin — in his first game back from receiving treatment in the NHL’s player assistance program — scored with 11 seconds left in the man advantage.

Still, it was a big point for the Wild, who extended an unbeaten streak to three games (2-0-1) and pulled within six points of idle Vegas for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

It was exactly the kind of effort Wild coach John Hynes wants to see from his players, up and down the lineup, through the end of the regular season. Even if the Wild don’t nab a playoff spot — perhaps unrealistic, but available nonetheless — there are jobs, and roles, to be filled beyond this season.

“Barring our top line, there needs to be more from the group,” Hynes said before Friday’s game. “And with players getting traded and (us) not getting players back, they’re gonna be heavily relied on. So, it’s an opportunity for them to step up.”

While the Avalanche added four players — including 2017 Minnesota Mr. Hockey winner Casey Mittelstadt and former Wild winger Brandon Duhaime — the Wild said goodbye to Duhaime, Connor Dewar and Pat Maroon. And while Maroon has been out with a back injury since Jan. 27, the loss of the “Deweys” threw the bottom two lines into disarray.

But Minnesota played one of its best defensive games of the season, and Gustavsson was at his best, finishing with 39 saves. He was outdueled, however, by Georgiev, who stopped 29 of 30.

It’ll be top-seeded Edina and second-seeded Chanhassen playing for the Class 2A boys’ hockey championship Saturday night.

Bobby Cowan had two goals and an assist and the Hornets beat Grand Rapids 5-2 late Friday at the Xcel Energy Center. Ten Edina players had points, including two assists each for Barrett Dexheimer, Sam Peckham and Mason West.

Seeking the school’s 11th state championship — its first since 2019 and fifth since 2010 — Edina (25-4-1) gets the Storm (25-5-0), a first-time tournament participant that beat Cretin-Derham Hall 6-1 to advance to the title game.

Up 1-0 on a goal by future Gopher Jackson Nevers, the Hornets scored a trio of goals in less than three minutes late in the first period to take command.

John Halverson converted a feed from Caleb Pittsley before John Warpinski scored off a scramble from a point shot by Peckham 86 seconds later for a 3-0 lead. A long pass from Dexheimer sent Cowan in on a breakaway for another Hornet tally 82 seconds after that.

Cowan added his second goal 6:23 into the final period with a wrist shot from the right circle that went through traffic.

Kyler Miller and Jacob Garski scored three minutes apart later in the final frame for Grand Rapids.

In the tournament for the first time since winning the 2017 title, fifth-seeded Grand Rapids (18-12-0) looked to maintain the excitement generated by its thrilling quarterfinal victory. Nathan Garski’s power-play goal with 1.6 seconds remaining was the difference in a 2-1 win over White Bear Lake on Thursday night.

But the Thunderhawks struggled to maintain any consistent offensive pressure. Grand Rapids was outshot 31-18.