In one of the more expected moves of the offseason, outfielder Jason Heyward has been released by the Chicago Cubs.
Heyward was cut from the Cubs despite having one year left on his contract and being owed $22 million. He was one of three players from their 2016 World Series-winning team still on the roster. Back in August, Cubs president Jed Hoyer said that they did not plan to bring Heyward back next season.
The #Cubs today granted OF Jason Heyward his unconditional release.
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) November 14, 2022
“He’s been such a great pro with us and a leader, and we want to have him around the team this year,” Hoyer said in August. “But we’re not going to have him on the team next year. We’ve already talked to him about that.
Hoyer mentioned that with the Cubs in the middle of a rebuild, they want to give more time to younger options such as Seiya Suzuki, Christopher Morel, and Nelson Velazquez.
Jason Heyward signed an eight-year, $184 million contract with Chicago before the 2016 season. At the time, the Cubs were coming off a 97-win season, by far the best season they had in years. Heyward, a three-time Gold Glove winner at the time, was brought in as a left-handed bat with elite defense. Throughout his time with both Atlanta and St. Louis, he showed to provide both power and defense. However, Heyward’s offense took a nosedive during his time in the North Side. Overall, he hit .245/.323/.377 during his seven seasons with the Cubs. In his last two seasons, he batted .211/.280/.326 throughout 152 games.
Jason Heyward is 33 years old with demonstrated experience as an elite fielder. While his offense at the batter’s box is inconsistent, he could be valuable for a team’s depth. He may look to sign with a contending club this offseason.
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