MLB Rumors: Jason Heyward to sign with the Chicago Cubs
Top free agent outfielder Jason Heyward has made his decision, and it sounds like he will be signing with either the Chicago Cubs.
Jason Heyward has topped the free agent position player rankings since the offseason began. However, the market was slow to develop while Ben Zobrist sorted out his decision and the top pitchers started to find new homes.
While talk of Heyward at the annual MLB Winter Meetings was slow to develop, it nonetheless picked up significantly on Thursday night, with news breaking that he had whittled his decision down to three likely suitors; the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, and Washington Nationals.
It appears that the decision has been made.
According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals are out on the Heyward bidding and the outfielder was expected to make his decision between the Nationals and the Cubs. Gordon Wittenmeyer of the Chicago Sun-Time is reporting the Cubs are the winners.
Source: Heyward has made a decision. #cardinals were very aggressive but doesn't sound like he chose them. #cubs very much in play here.
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) December 11, 2015
Multiple sources indicate Heyward has indeed chosen Cubs over Cards, Nats.
— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubMLB) December 11, 2015
Chicago has been an extremely active player this winter, attempting to better a ballclub that won 97 games in 2015 and took a young team to the National League Championship Series. Already, Theo Epstein and crew have added John Lackey to the rotation and Ben Zobrist as the club’s new second baseman.
Adding Heyward would be one of the final pieces of the puzzle. The 26-year-old outfielder has been said to be seeking a 10-year deal worth over $200 million total. While that may seem like a lot of money for a player who has yet to truly define himself offensively (career .268/.353/.431, 97 home runs, 446 RBI), it is Heyward’s age and projections that set him apart from the pack. Additionally, Heyward is coming off of a season in which he hit .293/.359/.439 with 13 home runs, 79 RBI, and was second among MLB outfielders with a UZR/150 of 24.0 and third in defensive runs saved with 24 last season.
As aggressive as the Cubs have been this winter, the club still has room to do a little bit more. The luxury of having so many young stars compromise the roster gives them payroll flexibility to pursue the top stars on the market.