HOUSTON, TX: According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com on X, the Astros and Jason Heyward are getting close to a deal. The Dodgers recently released the outfielder. After the deal is official, the Astros will need to take the appropriate action to open a position on the 40-man roster and to open an active roster spot once Heyward reports to the team.
Heyward, 35, managed to pull off a fantastic comeback season with the Dodgers the previous season. He spent the most of 2023 in Los Angeles, where he hit 15 home runs and walked in 9% of his plate appearances after having a difficult season with the Cubs. His hitting line of.269/.340/.473 converted into a 120 wRC+, which was 20% above league average.
The platoon advantage was mostly responsible for the damage, as the lefty swinger faced southpaws just 28 times while facing righties 349 times. It did, however, enable him to have a successful season. FanGraphs estimated his value to be 2.2 wins above replacement when paired with a potent defense.
This winter, he signed a one-year, $9MM contract extension with the Dodgers, but the Hollywood follow-up to the original wasn't as good. Heyward slashed .208/.289/.393 in 197 plate appearances with the Dodgers this season, good for a wRC+ of 91.
Heyward naturally went unclaimed off waivers given his declining play and high pay, but it makes sense for the Astros to sign him right now. The Dodgers will have to foot the bill for the majority of Heyward's remaining contract because of his recent release. He's practically a free agent, since the Astros will just need to pay him the prorated share of the $740K league minimum.
댓글