Top 5 potential landing spots for Jason Heyward

St. Louis Cardinals 

The Cardinals clearly like having Heyward on the club, have some money to spend this offseason, and have the type of front office that will particularly value his skill set. All of that makes St. Louis the favorite to sign Heyward, but a couple of factors could cause him to head elsewhere.

St. Louis showed just how interested it was in Heyward as a potential long-term option last offseason, as it acquired him for a pair of talented young pitchers, inducing one who was already contributing in the Majors in Shelby Miller. Heyward rewarded the Cardinals by being the best overall position player on a team that won 100 games.

The Cardinals have pulled a similar maneuver before, trading for Matt Holliday in 2009 before signing him long-term the next offseason. An outfield that includes Heyward, Randal Grichuck and Stephen Piscotty looks very promising for both the present and future.

As much sense as it would make for both sides, the big question is what the upper price limit for the Cardinals will be. St. Louis is not the type of team that typically gives out mega contracts to free agents, as the franchise has achieved its recent success through excellent drafting and development.

If the number gets to $200 million, the Cardinals might be forced to back off. Still, the Cardinals have a great chance to retain Heyward, and will likely have plenty of interest to do so.

Next: Chicago Cubs