Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Jason Heyward didn’t take long to find a new team.
LA designated him for assignment last week to make room for utilityman Chris Taylor on the roster, and released him on Monday.
Free to sign with any team of his liking, the lefty-hitting outfielder will do so with the Houston Astros according to multiple reports.
Jason Heyward is headed to the Astros pic.twitter.com/qavDCx6yOP
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 27, 2024
The Astros were in need of warm bodies as they wait for All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker to come back from a shin contusion.
Heyward is already a 35-year-old veteran, so his best days are probably behind him.
Still, bringing him in was a solid move by the Astros.
He stands to see plenty of at-bats against right-handed pitchers and can also enter games late as a defensive substitution in the outfield.
His days of being a star have been over for many years, but he can still contribute to an MLB team.
In fact, he was brilliant for the Dodgers as a part-time player in 2023, his first season with them.
He hit a solid .269/.340/.473 with 15 home runs, 40 RBI and a .813 OPS in 377 plate appearances.
His performance dipped this year, though, to a .208/.289/.393 line with six homers and a .682 OPS in 197 trips to the plate.
The Astros, leaders of the AL West division, will represent another chance for Heyward to win his second World Series after lifting the trophy in 2016 with the Chicago Cubs.
Heyward brings in championship pedigree and experience.
He is a 2010 All-Star and a five-game Gold Glove award winner who knows how to play the game and be inside a clubhouse.
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