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The Cubs introduced Monday that outfielder Jason Heyward has formally been granted his unconditional launch. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer announced in August that the workforce would launch Heyward within the offseason. Heyward continues to be owed $22M subsequent 12 months beneath the phrases of his eight-year, $184M contract, which coated the 2016-23 seasons.
After a prolonged rebuild the place the Cubs completed final within the NL Central for 5 straight years from 2010 to 2014, they lastly turned the nook in 2015. Their 97 victories solely resulted in a third-place end within the NL Central and a wild-card berth, although they have been in a position to defeat the 2 groups that completed forward of them within the postseason, getting by the Pirates within the WC sport after which the Cardinals within the NLDS. They have been then swept by the Mets within the NLCS, however it was clear that the rebuild was over and it was time to contend.
As such, the 2015-16 offseason was a busy one for the membership. The Cubs gave $56M to Ben Zobrist, $32M to John Lackey and some one-year offers, however their large strike was Heyward. He and the membership agreed to an eight-year, $184M deal that afforded him potential opt-outs after 2018 and 2019. These possibilities to choose out have been particularly vital given Heyward’s younger age, as he was solely going into his age-26 season on the time. It was an enormous funding for the Cubs at a vital time within the historical past of the franchise, however Heyward had proved himself to be an all-around contributor. His protection was wonderful, and he had hit at an above-average degree, along with stealing over 20 bases three time in his profession already.
Sadly, Heyward’s manufacturing slumped instantly. After hitting .293/.359/.439 with the Cardinals in 2015, he produced a batting line of .230/.306/.325 in 2016. Whereas the previous line amounted to a wRC+ of 121, or 21% above league common, his first 12 months as a Cub resulted in a wRC+ of simply 72, or 28% beneath league common. Despite the down 12 months from Heyward, the Cubs went 103-58, profitable the Central by 17 1/2 video games over the Cardinals. Heyward’s bat was even worse within the playoffs, as he hit simply .104/.140/.167. Regardless, the Cubs went on to interrupt their century-old curse by profitable the World Sequence. Regardless of Heyward’s poor on-field outcomes, he supposedly contributed by rousing the membership’s spirits with a rain delay speech in Recreation 7 towards Cleveland, although Cubs followers can debate amongst themselves how a lot credit score he deserves for that.
Heyward continued to supply high quality outfield protection for years to return, however his bat by no means actually correctly recovered. Since becoming a member of the Cubs, the one season during which he was above-average on the plate, in keeping with wRC+, was the pandemic-shortened 2020 marketing campaign. Based mostly on that diminished efficiency, he by no means appeared a risk to set off his opt-outs and thus stayed on with the Cubs. Over the size of the deal, the workforce ultimately entered one other rebuilding interval and traded away most of its core performers from the curse-breaking years. After the transient 2020 resurgence, Heyward’s offense plummeted but once more over 2021 and 2022. With the membership progressively filling out the roster with youthful gamers it hopes to kind the subsequent aggressive core, Chicago determined it was time to maneuver on. Heyward was on the IL on account of a knee damage in August when Hoyer introduced that he could be launched within the offseason, which has now certainly come to cross.
Heyward will now turn into a free agent once more, obtainable to signal with any workforce within the league. Regardless of his poor monitor file in current seasons, he might appeal to curiosity as a no-risk candidate. The Cubs will probably be on the hook for the $22M remaining on his deal, which means that any signing membership would solely must pay him the league minimal, with that quantity being subtracted from what the Cubs pay. Regardless of his prolonged time a giant leaguer, he’s nonetheless simply 33 years previous.
The legacy of Heyward’s time with the Cubs is already divisive among the many membership’s followers and can absolutely proceed to take action. There’s no disputing the truth that Heyward was by no means the famous person that the Cubs paid him to be. Some will marvel about what might have been if these assets have been dedicated to a special participant or gamers. Others will take the “Flags Fly Perpetually” strategy and level to the World Sequence title as all they should declare the deal successful. Both means, Monday’s transfer is one other symbolic one towards a brand new period of Cubs baseball. With varied trades over time, the current free company of Willson Contreras and now Heyward’s launch, Kyle Hendricks is left because the final member of that championship core nonetheless on the roster.
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