Free agency has progressed slowly this winter. Some of the biggest signings to date have been starting pitchers with late-season breakouts (Rich Hill, J.A. Happ). The markets for several of the flashiest names available have yet to develop, and that’s especially true of Jason Heyward.
The Angels have been mentioned once on these pages as a possible match. Earlier this week, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports said the Angels “aren’t ruling out a pursuit.” So that’s maybe, possibly one public suitor.
Every other Heyward rumor relates to his former Cardinals. While he fits their playing style to a T, Heyward isn’t exactly needed. The St. Louis roster features veterans Matt Holliday and Brandon Moss. Randal Grichuk is an exciting young center fielder with big power and plus defense. Stephen Piscotty made a successful late season debut. Some combination of Peter Bourjos, Jon Jay, and Tommy Pham can fill in the cracks.
Sure, Heyward is an improvement over some of those options, but is his production enough to justify the $200MM investment predicted by MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes? I don’t think so. The team does have a need in the rotation with Lance Lynn out for the season and top prospect Alex Reyes suspended 50 games for marijuana use. It might be smart to use monetary resources on pitching.
In his free agent profile, Jeff Todd agreed with Dierkes 10-year, $200MM valuation, saying “It’s hard to put Heyward in the same production bracket as Robinson Cano (ten years, $240MM), and you could argue that he’s not as valuable a free agent as Prince Fielder (nine years, $214MM), depending upon how one values defense and baserunning.” Then again, you can also argue that Heyward, 26, offers more future value than Cano or Fielder did at the time of their signings. When they inked their respective deals, Cano was entering his age 31 season while Fielder was set to turn 28.
It used to be that $200MM really limited a player’s market to just a few teams. In today’s cash rich environment, any team can compete for a top free agent. While it wasn’t a free agent signing, the always penurious Marlins actually own the richest contract in major league history (Giancarlo Stanton). Heyward, therefore, is a relatively affordable, young asset. Clearly, his market won’t be constrained to a team that doesn’t need him and another that isn’t “ruling out a pursuit.”
MLB.com’s Dan O’Dowd offers two more alternatives – the Dodgers and Orioles. His justifications? The Dodgers have the cash, and Heyward would add athleticism over incumbent Andre Ethier. With the Orioles, a run at Heyward would likely depend upon the club falling short on re-signing Chris Davis. O’Dowd also likes how Heyward would fit into the Angels lineup.
Let’s explore some other possible fits for Heyward.
The Yankees are always a safe bet to be involved with a player like Heyward. They’re said to be shopping Brett Gardner, possibly to make room for a Heyward pursuit. His left-handed bat and athleticism in the outfield would play awfully well at Yankee Stadium.
New York’s rivals, the Red Sox, are a dark horse candidate. The club is much more fixated on pitching, and they’re currently rich in outfielders. If their pursuit of David Price goes sideways, Boston could try to use some of their outfield depth to acquire star pitching. The would open a role for Heyward.
After attempting to contend in 2015, it’s hard to gauge the White Sox plans. They’ll try again to build around Chris Sale and Jose Abreu, but will they commit more resources to the effort? Across town, the Cubs could benefit from an OBP oriented veteran like Heyward to help support the various young phenoms. They’re supposedly more focused on pitching.
The Phillies could technically afford to sign Heyward. Their only payroll commitment beyond 2017 is a $2MM buyout on Matt Harrison. With their ability to financially bully the other NL East clubs, I expect Philadelphia to rebound quickly from their current nightmare. But this offseason might be one too soon for a forward thinking free agent signing of this magnitude. And it might be difficult to convince Heyward to ink with a rebuilding club.
The Mariners and Giants are the other two clubs I could foresee entering the bidding. Seattle is keen to become more athletic under new GM Jerry Dipoto. After signing Cano and Nelson Cruz in recent offseasons, I’m not sure they could stomach the price tag.
San Francisco is a rich market club that likes to play quietly in free agency. The team has plenty of outfielders, but only Hunter Pence stands out as name brand talent.
So where do you think Heyward will land? Is it one of these teams or somebody completely off the radar?
While they don’t necessarily “need” Jason Heyward because of their solid outfield depth, the Cardinals lack players that can affect the game in all aspects of the game like J-Hey can. Also, he is a proven commodity and can only expect to get better. It is also hard to imagine that the cardinals would give up 4-plus years of club control in Shelby Miller and a top level prospect in Jenkins for just one year of Heyward. I’d expect the cards to give Heyward everything they’ve got to keep him.
While I don’t agree that “he can only expect to get better”, between his age and current numbers, he is much less of a risk to be an albatross on the back half of the contract. If he does getter better, then the contract may actually provide positive value.
With Lynn out for the season, and Reyes suspended, the need now comes toward a SP instead of a non-need Heyward. I think they look at Price or Greinke now… Holliday – Grichuk – Piscotty – Jay – Moss – Pham – Bourjos is plenty good.
I’m sure the thought was to re-sign Heyward – but injuries now dictate what they need to do. They need to sign someone to replace Lynn. They can get Price, and should….
I think it’s pretty clear the Cardinals are going to decline Holliday’s 2017 option. That’s some good money coming off the books so it really isn’t as crazy as it seems for the Cardinals to be players for Heyward.
Of course, it also depends on what they do pitching and hitting wise. If they sign one of the elite pitchers (Price/Greinke), then they will likely stand pat at 1B and the outfield. If they go hitting and get Chris Davis (the much more likely scenario), then I see them going after the innings eating tier of pitching (Ian Kennedy, Wei-Yin Chen).
Big decisions for the FO.
Never know, but I think he’ll go with the cardinals
No chance dude. The Cardinals never hand out such huge contracts as Hayward will get.
Neither have 2/3rds of baseball, because there have only been about 5 contracts (Cano, Pujols, Miggy, A-Rod and Stanton) that have ever went as high as what Heyward will get. I’ll make a bold prediction and say he tops Votto, Fielder, Kershaw and Scherzer.
they gave holliday 120 million 6 years ago, and have more than enough money to afford heyward. I don’t know why so many people assume st louis can’t spend money they are the most profitable team in baseball
It’s not so much that they can’t it’s that they usually don’t. They are the most profitable team in baseball precisely because they don’t spend aggressively in free agency.
they haven’t needed to before this year but the farm is drying up and to paraphrase game of thrones the Cubs are coming
Tough fit. He’s going to be really expensive. Can definitely rule out the Orioles. Can probably rule out the Red Sox as outfield isn’t their most pressing concern. The Yankees don’t appear to be in spending mode. The last thing the Dodgers need is another outfielder, although they could make the signing and then trade someone. Don’t think the Phillies are ready to spend yet. Cubs are a possibility, but I think they’re more focused on pitching. Mariners and White Sox are possible. A huge deal like that wouldn’t be like the Cardinals. I think he’d be a nice fit for the Giants.
No chance the Giants, Cardinals, Redsux, O’s or Phillies touch him.
Why not the Phillies? I’m sure they’re atleast considering the possibility. They have the 1:1 pick protected. No one really loves Aaron Altherr (except me) and Odubel Herrera is still a question mark.
They have money to burn, and a brand new analytical GM.
Don’t think they’re in spend big mode yet. They could do it if they wanted, but I think they want to be a little bit closer before they start bringing in big free agents. It’s just a feeling mind you, so they could do it. I just think next year is more likely for big moves. I think they’re still evaluating.
Agreed, however this is the best FA market we’re going see for a really long time. Next year there isn’t much other than Carlos Gomez. Other than really Nick Williams, they don’t have a great outfield prospect. Randolph is years away. Herrera was a rule 5 pick, so I’m not banking on him yet.
I think Quinn takes over CF in 2017 anyways… he’s better than Herrera. But yes, the FA Crop in 2017 and 2018 is nothing like this year’s… so no need to waiting knowing they have $110 before going over the luxury cap THIS year and will have an additional $44 off the books next season.
Money in the Phillies case is a non-case considering they are now getting $125 Million a year from Comcast and the yearly revenue sharing starting this season.
No reason the Phillies can’t put together a winning team while still evaluating their rookies.
Cubs added Lester and Fowler and got what they expected from Bryant, Russell and Schwarber. Then when they saw they were winning, added on at the trade deadline which pushed them into the playoffs.
Phillies can be in the same exact situation except we actually have more minor league Pitching than the Cubs, but a future just as bright…
More importantly, why would heyward ever sign with the Phillies, even if it’s for more money?
Why wouldn’t he.. I gave the reason why he would.
And yes, MONEY is the main reason.. Hitting in CBP for 81 games a year helps his Offense, and after a 4 year opt out, he’d be worth more by showing his offense improvement as his defense stays just as good.
At 26 years old… Money is the key, and would set a higher bar for Upton, Gordon and Cespedes too…. The Players Association will pressure Heyward to hold out for the highest bidder and making sure he gets an opt out clause…
The Phillies CAN offer the most, period… and he would quicken the Phillies back into contention by a full year.
Absolutely NO way he signs with Philly. You must not know much about Jason Heyward. No chance – sorry.
He has too much class to even think about going to play there. Let’s just say if he gets a no trade list then he would put Philly on it.
because the player would have to want to play there
Why wouldn’t Heyward want to play in CBP? He’s get the MOST Money, an opt out clause after 4 years, in which his value as a hitter should go higher just by hitting in CBP.
Ohh, did I forget to mention he’d get the MOST money with the Phillies as well??? At 26 years old, that means a lot… older players look for the Ring… He still has 2 huge paydays coming.. this year, and yet again at age 30.
Heyward wants to win. sure he wants to get paid but he wants to win as well. 150 million dollars is more than a person can spend in their lifetime, I don’t see how an extra 20 million can be that big of difference. there are players that would chase every dollar but Heyward strikes me more of the type that cares about other things besides just money.
I like Altherr – I like him starting in LF if they sign Heyward (and they should) – look at my post above for the reasons and then some…
No chance the Cardinals touch Hayward. They NEVER sign such huge contracts!
Matt Holiday?
I tell ya what, I don’t know much about the financial situation of the Royals, but if they have the money, he would be a great fit. Heyward is such a Royals type player in the ways that he has great defence, above average speed,can put the bat on the ball well, and will hustle as much as it takes to win. All-around great player and he can make the Royals just THAT much better, on the field and in the clubhouse. Right now, the Royals need an outfielder, and even though I haven’t seen them been linked to Heyward, I think they are the sleeper team for him.
Written By: A Jays Fan
As a Yankees fan I will actually agree with the Blue Jays fan here. The Royals have a open RF too with Rios being a free agent.
Haha thanks man
If the Royals had that type of money, they’d probably just bring Gordon back for half the cost/years.
I’m sure they’d like Gordon back but Heyward is younger and probably has a better chance of not getting injured as much as Gordon probably would due to the age. Heyward isn’t even at his prime yet. This is a great opportunity for Royals to get an outfielder with a higher upside and longer term than Gordon.
Please read my replay to your original post… Royals are/may be losing:
Gordon / Rios / Zobrist / Holland / Guthrie / Young / Madson / Morales / Gomes
You may want to re-evaluate you agreeing with the Blue Jays fan after you saw my replay to ALL the needs of the Royals. Rios can easily be replaced with a low / mid level salary guy like Venable.
If the Tigers sign one or two good starters, (they already addressed needs by getting Maybin and K-Rod) the Royals will be in trouble to repeat next year as well as the Twins looking strong as well.
Maybin and K-Rod won’t make a big enough impact on the team to beat the Royals. And if the Royals are losing all the players you mentioned up there^^ to free agency, there will be money for the Royals to spend. Instead of replacing Rios with Venable, why not replace Gordon,Rios,Zobrist,Young,Madson (All the meaningful Free agents) with Heyward and some other lower tier players/some of their prospects.
And the Tigers just signed Zimmermann… as of RIGHT Now.. the Tigers have a better team than the Royals.
Detroit
Detroit’s needs are at SP and RP.
They have Maybin – Gose – JD Martinez – Moya – Collins in the OF.
Only JD Martinez is an actual everyday player. Gose and Maybin are platoon players. Collins and Moya are marginal 5th outfielders at best.
Heyward would fit the Royals like a glove, agreed, but he’s not a huge need for them and they wouldn’t want to pay him market value anyway.
Actually, he doesn’t fit, because Heyward’s value is defensive primarily, and with Cain in centre, he doesn’t make enough difference to them to justify the money….and in the next few years, they’ll need a pile of $$$ to retain Hosmer, Cain, Moustakas, Perez….
Heyward plays RF so he would be taking over for Rios. He started to hit better this season and I expect him to only get better from knowledge and experience of the game towards his prime. In the next few years they will have some good prospects to replace Hosmer,Cain,Moustakas,Perez and they have a great GM who can find a diamond in the rough, just like they did with Kendrys Morales for cheap.
If they had the money, they would re-sign Gordon, which they can’t even afford to bring him back… let alone 200 Million for Heyward. The Royals should make Zobrist a must re-sign. And then they would still have to deal with the losses of Cueto, Rios, Guthrie, Young, Madson, Morales and Holland. Maybe Ofante rebounds so they can play Zobrist in LF and sign another cheaper OF like Venable. Medlen can replace Guthrie. Still leaves them with more holes than spending big on 1 player.
Donnie, why would they be losing Morales? Didn’t he sign a two year deal?
No, he didn’t – he’s a FA – look it up.
Name the last guy that made 20M or more for the Royals
Well someone will eventually be the first… maybe Heyward
I think Heyward will sign with the New York Mets, mostly because I’m crazy and he’s a really good fit for that emerging young team.
Nahh – They have Conforto / Lagares / Granderson / Cuddyer
I think they sign a SS even though I like Flores at SS and Herrera at 2B.
Money would be the biggest barrier. Conforto, Heyward, and Grandy would be great if the Mets weren’t owned by such a scumbag and cheap ownership (Wilpons). If they have a shot, they’d need to move Grandy (trade high!) and possibly Lageres. Nimmo could rotate in in RF. Cuddyer is dead weight (and a sunk cost) at this point. He should be cut, but at worst he can play once a wk as a platoon player.
My money is on the Dodgers signing him. Should they not though, welcome to NYC & Yankee Stadium, J-Hey Kid.
Dodgers have SOOO many expensive outfield commitments it would be hard to think that they would sign Heyward. Plus they are trying to Shed some salaries.
Hope you’re not betting that money, cause that’s a sure loss.
Dodgers want Greinke back, and if they can’t get him back, they will sign another big Pitcher.
There’s just no room for Heyward with the LAD.
Ethier / Pederson / Puig / Crawford / Van Slyke / Guerrero / Hernandez / Schebler
They have 8 guys that can all play the OF…
Heyward is a very good player, not a great one.
I hate to be THAT guy, but Heyward wouldn’t be drafted in the first five rounds of any fantasy league. If he’s one of a team’s top three players (as he was with the Braves), then that team won’t be very good. He’s better as a top-ten player. Any team willing to throw $200 million at him should remember three important words: Shin Soo Choo.
Choo was one of the best players in baseball in the 2nd half last year. Don’t let one bad year define 7 year deal.
However, that deal was also highly criticized when it was signed. Heyward is the poster boy for WAR, so he’ll get paid, and probably live up to a fair amount of it.
Agreed, plus Heyward’s contract will have an Opt Out Clause.. book it… which all those other huge contracts don’t have..
Even w a good 2nd half, they would walk from his remaining contract if they could; it was a significant overpay.
Fantasy baseball =/= real life.
Did you really just make your argument around him not being a top pick in fantasy? As far as I’m concerned fantasy only tracks basic stats like HR/RBIs and such. If you really look at his numbers, both in fantasy and numbers that actually matter in real life, you’ll see he’s actually quite a good player. But you probably wouldn’t know that because you probably judge every player on his AVG/HR/RBI numbers.
In terms of being a top three player on a team, it depends on whose surrounding him, because baseball is a TEAM sport. On the Braves he was probably the second best player (behind Freeman, maybe someone else but off the top of my head I can’t think of anyone) but the rest of the team wasn’t overflowing with talent. On a talented team like the Cardinals, where he is still probably a top 3-4 player, the team did very well, proving your idea that the team won’t be good wrong. One player cannot carry a team, nor should he be expected to.
The Braves averaged 90 wins a season during the 5 years that Heyward played for them and in his 6 years he has played on only one team that has had less than 89 wins. The idea that a team can’t win with him is completely incorrect.
Y’all really suck at tagging the Giants in things.
Herrera, Altherr and Heyward is a dream defensive outfield. The ball would never touch the grass.
You’re basically paying for 6 prime years of Heyward, which is a very sweet deal considering hes still getting better and is going to give you a fair share of value even if he has a down year or two at the plate.
Mariners own their TV station now. The profits have been rolling in for awhile now. They could “stomach” or spend just about as much anyone else in MLB. I wouldn’t be surprised if they went after Heywood and an arm too.
I see Chris Davis as more a go-after guy in Seattle, or Upton/Cespedes. I believe they want a 30 HR guy, and not so much a defensive first OF. I think they re-sign Iwakuma as well.
The cardinals will not re- sign Jason Heyward because we’re going for David Price and Chris Davis
I don’t see them going after Davis when they still have Adams and Moss
I don’t buy when people say “Cardinals don’t do those type of contracts”. Well, actually, lets take a look. Wainwright got an extension around 20 million per year. Molina got one for are 16 million per year. Peralta was paid 15 million for the first two years of his contract. And then there’s Holliday. Who signed for only around 15 million per year, but adjusted for inflation, he would get a lot more in this market if he was his same age.
My point is, Cardinals do hand out pricey contracts more often than people think, it’s just not to players outside the organization. Heyward isn’t considered signing someone from outside, because of his year already played in STL. Just like Holliday, they traded for him, and liked what they saw. Now, Heyward is obviously in a different situation because of his age, but that makes the Cardinals more interest in a long term deal. They know there will be an opt-out clause as well. I’m not saying that he’s going back to STL for sure, I’m just saying they will definitely put a lot of money on the table for him.
They are more likely to give him 200 million than David Price or Zack Greinke, which I’ve heard some people suggest as more plausible than resigning Heyward, which is just not accurate.
They did give up Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins to acquire him last year, so it makes sense the Cards resign him. But because Lynn is out for the year, I think their focus is more on a solid pitcher and an improvement in offense.
The biggest surprise this off season Heyward won’t get 175 million and might be lucky Power to valued and metric is over rated his defense ain’t going to get 200 mil lol no way I bet the farm on it
What?
All it takes is one stupid team to overpay; he’ll get 200m.
I don’t think that team will be the Cardinals.
Still think the Angels get him and offer an opt out after 4 years. Give him the option to leave if they can’t resign Trout and go into a full rebuild.
Yeah Halos will definitely aim for a OF. It just depends on which route they want to take. If they want a power bat, go with Cespedes or Upton. If you want a OBP-guy with Gold Glove defense, Gordon or Heyward.
I get Heyward has the potential to be a 20 HR guy, but I just wonder if they’d be willing to pay all that money for him, when there are better power options on the market for OFs. If they’re looking for defense, I feel like they could just sign Gerardo Parra, who has great defense with a solid bat, at a fraction of the cost.
I think they’d rather sign Upton or Cespedes, but I could be wrong.
I just don’t see the Dodgers going after him. They currently have six outfielders: Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, Yasiel Puig, Joc Pederson, Alex Guerrero and Scott Van Slyke. Crawford is untradeable and Ethier can be moved but not without eating up substantial amount. Puig and Pederson’s stock is pretty low at the moment, so it’s not a good time to trade. As for Guerrero, I just don’t know what to make of him. He has a strange contract that basically gives him no-trade clause and it’s very difficult to assess his values, but he’s not exactly a top-tier player at this point. The bottom line is the Dodgers is likely to go with the current outfielders next year, unless there’s an extreme blow-up, which I don’t see it happening.
Yeah I thought it was pretty odd of Dan O’Dowd to suggest that the Dodgers would sign a third right fielder. He has them trading Ethier (only the Dodgers’ most productive OF’er last season), keeping Puig (without suggesting where he plays), and doesn’t say anything at all about what happens to Crawford. The “because they have a lot of money” rationale can’t paper over such a total lack of baseball logic. BTW they could move Crawford at the right price.
As good as Heyward is defensively, it’s hard to understand just how much more value an elite corner outfielder gives to his team. Placing him on teams like the Jays, Rays, Royals or Red Sox – all teams with elite defensive centre fielders – drops Heyward’s true value significantly. A corner outfielder that produces slightly above average offensive numbers isn’t worth $20 million a season…the team that pays this for him will live to regret it.
Unless that team is the Phillies… who like the article says… has just a $2 Million buyout on Harrison after 2017. They are $110 million under the Luxury threshold THIS season, and knock off $44 more million in Ruiz and Howard after this season.
Heyward at 26 years old would be PERFECT for the Phillies at 10 years / $210 Million w/ an opt out after 4 years.
This is the year the Phillies start collecting $100 Million a year from Comcast for the next 25 years, plus the $25 Million a year from the Revenue sharing they get.
Convincing him to come over to a rebuilding club isn’t so hard for a hitter that would be going to CBP, a pure hitters park. His offense would show better numbers than when he had to hit in Atlanta and St Louis 81 games a year.
That way, when he opts out (even if the Phillies re-sign him) – he does so at age 30, and can at that point get yet another $5 Million a year added to his annual salary and add a couple more years as well.
Also the fact that he would be the focus on the rebuild to quicken it by a year should play into it, also will allow other Pitching FA’s to then see a commitment to quicken its rebuild ASAP.
Its a win/win for both sides.
Heyward gets the most money now, and gets to reap the rewards of the opt-out clause while hitting in a great hitters park.
Here’s one other thing non-Phillies fans may not be aware of…
In the second half last year, the Phillies went 34-37 – just 3 games under .500
Heyward is a +5 WAR player.
But here’s the real story of that 34-37 record. The Phillies did that while Pichers: Harang / Williams / Asher / Buchanan / De Fratus went a combined 5-20 with a combined ERA well over 6.00 – and they are gone now.
The Phillies went from 26th worse farm system to 7th best last year, trading 8 players for 14 highly rated prospects, plus they have the #1 overall pick this year.
The Phillies have the most money in all of MLB to spend – that’s a fact.
They have the 7th best farm and getting better….
They have the Youngest MLB team. They have really good rookies from last year (Franco – Nola – Herrera – Rupp – Altherr – Sweeney) and have from what the scouts say, have future All-Stars in (SS) JP Crawford & (C) Jorge Alfaro coming up later this year, or at very latest, to start the 2017 season. That along with potential TOR Pitcher Jake Thompson, and #2 types such as Zach Eflin and Ben Lively that will start in AAA and exciting OF’s in Nick Williams and Roman Quinn.
Now the crazy part… After signing Heyward – then they go after a #1 and #2 starter – and that list would include Price, Cueto, & Zimmermann. (get at least 1)
And if they can’t sign two, then add Samardzija / Chen / Kazmir / to the list.
Also look to sign a 1 year deal with Beachy, Latos, Cahill or Fister and add a 4th OF (25 year old Robbie Grossman who plays all 3 OF positions and is a switch hitter seems like a good fit) and of course 2 good later inning RP’s like Soria and Clippard for instance.
Fact is… All this is wishing on a shooting star type of dream.. BUT.
Not one thing I stated isn’t fake or not possible.
The Phillies have the Money, they have the needs… and they only need the guts of their new President and GM to do it…. and not wait til next year. The RIGHT FA’s are in 2016, not 2017…..
High hopes and agreed about ’17. I’m not sure FA will want to sign there, but they could pull it together quickly. Getting rid of RAJ was a step in the right direction.
Heyward is NOT worth a $200M price tag. Offensively he is only average. He was supposed to hit for power but except for ONE season he has never really showed it. He strikes out quite a bit which is a detriment since he doesn’t make up for it with power. Also he is only average on the bases, not great. Sorry any team that pays him the money that’s predicted will regret it with 2-3 years.
That being said anyone who thinks the Cards will resign him is a fool. They have an abundance of outfielders in the majors and minors. They are fine. 1B and pitching (maybe)
Essentially everything you have said about Heyward is not true.
Heyward has a career OPS of 114, and has only been below 100 once, in 2011. He is not average offensively.
He also has been rated as well above average on the base paths for his career according to BSR, again only once posting below average.
He also doesn’t strikeout much, being again above average for his career, and trending better over the past three years while also taking walks at a good rate.
Doesn’t matter where he ends up… It’s good to be Heyward right about now
If Dipoto can sign Iwakuma and gets a couple of relief pitchers in trade, and finds his team is set to compete for a World Series run if they fill the right field hole with the right guy, who knows…….M’s management my give him the go-ahead on a Heyward offer. That would certainly blow everyone’s sox off after everything else Dipoto has already done in the off-season. If that happens…..hello playoffs.
He fits in so well with the mets. He can play some CF and RF and allow Grandy, Conforto and Lagares to split time. He can be the RF they have been searching for when Grandy is gone. With Kevin long as hitting coach, he might actually start to tap back into the power he has. Plus he is the only guy that qualifies as a true upgrade over Lagares in CF outside of Cespedes
I believe the d backs and the braves can make a trade, it is known the d backs want pitching julio t shellby m for aj pollock ……….. maybe a couple more pieces coming from the braves? Then the diamondbacks sign a bat . Instead of wasting money on pitchers they can buy a bat or two I hear they have a new TV deal. Maybe justin Upton J hey cespedes ? On the braves side they have pitching coming maybe contending 2017?
Makes sense for the Yankee especially in that park it would help alot plus his defense along with elsbury n Gardner
Gotta say the Yankees make a lot of sense. Seems like they always sign these old players that are on their decline recently, but now they have a chance to get a player while he’s in his prime. I’m not a Yankee fan so i hope he signs elsewhere, but if I had a vote, I’m saying Yankees.
I don’t see it, Yanks need a pitcher first, they have a surplus of OFs right now.
How Boston makes this list is beyond me. Yes they have a dearth of OF they can deal from but they likely learned from the Carl Crawford signing that signing an OF with little power in hopes it rises for that price, isn’t worth it.
Heyward’s 27hr season seems like it will be like Jacoby’s 30hr season. An outlier.
A lot of similarities there! If the Cards aren’t after him I would move on to Gordon.
Should the O’s fail to re-sign Davis, he’d be ideal in Baltimore, but I couldn’t see DD going anywhere near ten years.
the angels need him the most out of all the teams listed, they need a lefty bat and a left fielder. It will be worth going over the 189 luxury tax
The Yankees might jump in on this if Cashman can convince Hal that spending money on 26 year old players is better than age 30 guys. I do wonder if signing Heyward means they would make Judge available in trades. You could always keep him, but I wouldn’t mind packaging him in a deal with Gardner to get a young cost-controlled starting pitcher. Maybe something like a Gardner, Judge and Clarkin for Salazar?
no way the yankees do anything for heyward or any free agent, they need to get younger, The angels are the best fit for heyward
And Heyward wouldn’t make them younger in RF?
they have no room for him, they need a pitcher more then they need another bat.
They could easily find room after trading Brett Gardner. It’s really not as impossible as you make it seem. I get it, you want the Angels to get him, but a 26 year old hyper-athletic outfielder makes sense for many teams.
I think the cubs could make a package for Gardner, but it would have to be for the right price, Imagine an outfield of Trout-Calhoun-Heyward. I hope it’s either heyward or alex gordon. eppler values defense a lot , it shows when they traded for simmons which I am still in shock over.
Gordon seems to be the better bet, Heyward could be another Ellsbury.
Heyward would be a great fit in Yankee Stadium but they really need a right handed bat.
well the cardinals are the best fit for him, but I agree if there is one team stupid enough to blow the cardinals out of the water with a huge overpay for Heyward it’s the angels.
Heyward should ask Albert how happy he is that he took the extra money to sign with the angels and win 0 playoff games.
Yanks might go after Heyward if they can get rid of Gardner and Miller in a deal, but I think their first priority is a starting pitcher since CC pitched the most inninings for them last year. On paper according to Fangraphs they are the 4th best team in the majors, but the health of their pitching and age of Tex, A-Rod and Beltran make their team a question mark for the playoffs.
The Cardinals have the money to spend. Signed a huge deal with Fox Sports and they really aren’t paying anyone huge money. The only guys making the money are Holiday, Waino and Yadi. Holidays up and the end of 16 with an option for 17. Money frees up and then it’s not a big deal. The Cardinals never make a big splash but when they do its on players they traded for. So is expect their outfield next year to be Holiday, Grichuk and Heyward. With Jay and Pham on the bench, Piscotty playing first so no need to find a first baseman. They don’t need to make a splash in the pitching market because they have 4 good starters and as they always do will either grab a guy off the scrap heap and make him a very serviceable 5th for one year or it will just be the next guy up. They still have Lyons, Gonzalez, Cooney and Reyes when he gets back from suspension. Typical Cardinals…..
In no situation is Heyward worth $200m. I can’t believe a team would even consider giving him that much money.
4 of his 6 career seasons produced ~6 WAR, hes one of the best defensive corner outfielders in baseball. Elite OBP skills (atleast in this day and age). He can run and still has power potential.
The last player to have WAR numbers like his and hit the FA market was Cano, and he got paid.
Plus at age 26 you get him in his prime!
I know it’s the wrong page but it looks like boston is pushing the hardest for price and they are trying to trade Hanley
Hanley will be hard to trade at this point unless the Sox add some other players in a deal.
I’d say the likelihood of the Yankees obtaining Hayward is dependent upon their ability to trade the likes of Gardy, Nova and maybe find a taker for Beltran. Hayward is exactly what the Yankees are looking for in a young player who’s swing would fit the stadium
I wonder if the Braves might sign Heyward as the next step in builing a winner for 2018? The fans told me that they loved him in Atlanta