According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, former Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward has signed a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Heyward will forever be known as the one that gave the speech during the 10th-inning rain delay in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series.
In early August, Cubs' President Jed Hoyer announced Jason Heyward would not play the rest of the 2022 season and would not return in 2023. Although they wanted his roster spot, the Cubs wanted to do right by him and elected not to release him mid-season. On Nov. 14, the Cubs officially granted the veteran his unconditional release. Chicago still owes Heyward $22 million in 2023, but at least he will get an opportunity to play elsewhere.
Heyward, 33, gets a new start on the West Coast with a team that has made the postseason each of the last 10 seasons, including one World Series championship in three appearances. While the ending in Chicago might not have been how he drew it up, J-Hey’s time with the Cubs was special. He was a tremendous leader on and off the field during the best era of Cubs baseball. The team’s 108-year championship drought might not have ended in 2016 without the 10th-inning rain delay team meeting he held.
During his seven seasons on the North Side, Heyward won two Gold Glove awards while slashing .245/.323/.377 (.700 OPS) with 62 homers and 32 stolen bases. His offensive production didn’t quite meet expectations, but in my opinion, the World Series curse and drought-breaking win will always be worth it.
A New Beginning for Jason Heyward
Heyward will provide an already experienced Dodgers team with more world-class leadership. Earlier this week, the Cubs signed Cody Bellinger after the Dodgers non-tendered him. In a weird way, it's like the Cubs and Dodgers made a trade, except the Cubs are paying both more money.
The Dodgers also lost Joey Gallo to free agency. Both are left-handed hitting outfielders, so they have a clear need for another lefty outfielder. Los Angeles already has cornerstone offensive producers in Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith.
According to Ardaya's report, Heyward will get an invite to big league camp with the Dodgers. If he makes the roster, Los Angeles will pay the minimum $700,000 fee, meaning Cubs would get a slight discount on the $22 million they owe him.
It’ll be weird to see Jason Heyward in a new uniform after seven seasons with the Chicago Cubs. However, it was time for both parties to move on, and maybe J-Hey could win another championship as a role player with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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