The Dodgers were stuck between a rock and a hard place when they designated Jason Heyward for assignment on Thursday. Chris Taylor was coming off the IL, and they couldn’t find it in themselves to eat the rest of his contract. LA really just had three options — Heyward, Kiké Hernández, or Kevin Kiermaier — and they opted for Heyward, despite the game-winning three-run homer he hit just the night before.
Taylor returned to the lineup on Sunday and went 0-3 at the plate, which is pretty much exactly what was expected for a player who was batting .167 before he got hurt. The Dodgers consigned Heyward to the limbo of the DFA, and he cleared waivers and was released by the club on Monday, per the Dodgers’ transactions log.
Heyward can always sign a different deal and get back to playing, but as of now, he’s jobless. Freddie Freeman, who played with Heyward for five years in Atlanta from 2010-2014 and has called Heyward his best friend, said, “It’s above my pay grade about what the decisions and all that stuff is, but just personally, it’s sad. […] I texted him and said it feels like 2014 all over again” (subscription required).
Freddie Freeman reflected sadly on Dodgers’ Jason Heyward DFA
Freeman and Heyward’s friendship predates even their major league careers. They met as teenagers during a showcase, were both selected by the Braves in the 2007 draft (Heyward in the first round, Freeman in the second), came up through the minors together as frequent roommates, and made their MLB debuts in 2010.
After Heyward was unceremoniously dumped by the Cubs, who decided they’d rather eat his remaining $22 million than keep him, Freeman advocated for the Dodgers to sign him to a minor-league deal for the 2023 season.
Last year, it paid off. Heyward became a surprise standout for the Dodgers, making it out of spring training and batting .269 over 124 games.
It was enough to get him a $9 million major league deal for 2024. Things haven’t quite worked out the same for him this season — after two IL stints and a .208 average over 63 games, the Dodgers cut ties.
Freeman reiterated Heyward’s influence in the Dodgers clubhouse, saying, “It’s the impact he’s had on so many people, and lasting impact, and he’s made a lot of the young guys better, and that’s why I really wanted him to be here in the first place because I know what kind of impact he’s going to have on certain people’s careers as they go forward.”
We’re pulling for Heyward to get another shot with a postseason contender. Although it’d be dangerous for the Dodgers to see him again for a postseason revenge game, his last Dodgers homer shows that he’s still got some fight in him.
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Source: New York Post
