Chicago Cubs: 4 disappointments who should be replaced at the trade deadline

1. Shed Jason Heyward’s contract, as impossible as that probably is to achieve

The Cubs have lacked consistent offensive production from their outfielders since the departure of Dexter Fowler after the 2016 season. Among the players who has been on the team since then is Jason Heyward, and his offense hasn’t been great.

In six seasons with the Cubs, Heyward has slashed .248/.329/.411 with 58 home runs. His current .194 batting average and .333 slugging percentage in 203 plate appearances this season is the lowest of his career. What’s hurting Chicago most aside from his lack of offensive performance is his contract.

At the conclusion of this season, Heyward still has two years remaining on the initial eight-year, $184 million contract he signed just prior to the 2016 season. He’ll make $21 million in 2021, and $42 million over the next two seasons.

There’s no question Heyward’s defensive skills are worth top dollar. He’s one of the best right fielders in the league and his five Gold Glove awards show that. But, nobody wants to pay $20 million-plus for a defense-only player.

The Cubs won’t cut Heyward loose by paying that much money, and it’s going to be tough finding a team to take a player’s contract with a sub-200 batting average. If Chicago has any preference in starting someone else over Heyward, the only likely option is to trade him in a salary dump. This means the Cubs would pay a huge bulk of his deal just for the sake of opening up a roster spot.

Until then, Chicago will stick with Heyward. It’ll be expensive, but the most Ross can do is keep him on the bench regardless of him being the team’s highest paid player.