Jason Heyward joins Dodgers' biggest rivals after getting DFA'd before World Series
The Los Angeles Dodgers enjoyed a storybook run to a World Series title last fall, but unfortunately not everyone got to be a part of it. With just a few weeks remaining in the regular season, the team DFA'd and then subsequently released struggling outfielder Jason Heyward, an abrupt end to his year-plus with the team.
As a baseball move, it was certainly justified. Heyward regressed badly at the plate last year, hitting just .208/.289/.393 with six homers in 63 games for L.A., and the Dodgers faced a roster crunch after acquiring Tommy Edman and Kevin Kiermaier at the trade deadline. The team had to make a tough choice, and you can understand why Heyward was the odd man out. But that didn't make the news any easier to take: Heyward was reportedly devastated by the demotion, so much so that he even temporarily ghosted some of his closest friends and former teammates like Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman.
Asked how Jason Heyward is doing, Freddie Freeman said, "I don't think he's talking to anybody. I mean, would you guys be wanting to talk if you got fired from your job? I've had three text messages [from him], and that’s three more than a lot of other people [have received]."
— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 24, 2024
Heyward eventually landed on his feet. He wound up with the Houston Astros, delivering several key hits down the stretch of their postseason push — including the homer that clinched the AL West title. And while he didn't have the most robust free-agent market in the offseason, he eventually found a home that presents the perfect opportunity to get a little revenge on the team that told him to kick rocks.
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Jason Heyward gets the chance for ultimate revenge on Dodgers
On Friday evening, word broke that Heyward had agreed to a short-term deal with the San Diego Padres, who plan to use him in left field as part of a platoon with the righty-hitting Connor Joe.
The Padres have agreed to a free-agent deal with Jason Heyward, a source tells @TheAthletic. Heyward is expected to share time in left field with Connor Joe, who agreed to a deal earlier today.
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) February 8, 2025
After losing Jurickson Profar to the Atlanta Braves, San Diego desperately needed to find some corner outfield help to supplement Jackson Merrill in center and Fernando Tatis Jr. in right. Heyward is far from the player he was in his prime, but he should still hold his own in a more limited role against right-handed pitching, plugging the most glaring hole in what remains a pretty formidable roster — at least so long as the Padres' ownership dispute doesn't blow things up before Opening Day.
It feels like eons ago now, but this is the same Padres team that came within an eyelash of bouncing the Dodgers out of the playoffs in the NLDS. Granted, this offseason has been a bit of a bummer, and landing Roki Sasaki sure would've helped stabilize things. But, at least for now, they still have Dylan Cease, Michael King, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove in the rotation, plus a lineup featuring Tatis Jr., Merrill, Manny Machado, Luis Arraez and Xander Bogaerts. And they've added a very motivated Heyward, who you know has already circled the first matchup against the division rivals up I-5 (June 9, for those keeping score at home).
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