PEORIA, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 27: Jason Heyward #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers bats against the San Diego Padres during the first inning of the spring training game at Peoria Stadium on February 27, 2023 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Chicago Cubs couldn’t wait to get rid of Jason Heyward. The Dodgers might’ve already fixed his swing in MLB spring training.
Jason Heyward’s time in Chicago was full of ups and downs. It was mostly lows, especially near the end of his tenure. In 2022, Heyward slashed just .202/.277/.556 with one home run in 48 games.
Heyward hasn’t made an All-Star Game outside of his rookie season in Atlanta. His glove was once an elite level, but he last won an award for that in 2017, and has slowed a little since then. Still, former Braves teammate Freddie Freeman convinced the Dodgers to take a chance on Heyward this offseason.
LA has spent much time trying to retool Heyward’s swing. It paid off early with a spring training home run on Wednesday.
Could Cubs come to regret letting Jason Heyward walk?
Sadly for the Cubs, the Dodgers make a habit out of retooling former stars who’ve lost their way. Just look at Albert Pujols. One stint on the right side of LA was enough to revive his career.
Freeman openly admits he recruited Heyward to Los Angeles, and even played a role in convincing the Dodgers front office to sign him. Outfield depth isn’t a bad thing.
“It might have been a lot,” Freeman said of his part in getting Heyward in LA. “When I talked to Jason in the last couple of months of the season last year and seeing where the Chicago Cubs and him were going, I went straight to Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes and was like, ‘hey, guys it’s a perfect fit. He’s a wonderful human and there’s a lot left in there’ so I stayed on them for a little bit and as the offseason went on I talked to Jason pretty much every day and things kind of just fell into place and I got my friend back. I’ve just been telling him how wonderful the Dodgers have been for me this past year and he’s really excited.”
It’s unlikely Heyward suddenly becomes a five-tool player in Los Angeles, but any help he can provide a contending Dodgers team will make the Cubs look bad. It’s just the way things work in baseball.