The Houston Astros have signed outfielder Jason Heyward of Ridgewood, New Jersey to a contract according to ESPN. The financial terms of the contract and length of the contract have not yet been released.
Heyward is joining his fifth Major League Baseball team. He was previously with the Atlanta Braves from 2010 to 2014, the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015, the Chicago Cubs from 2016 to 2022, and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023 and 2024. Heyward was released by the Dodgers on Saturday.
Heyward in 2024
Heyward is batting .208 with six home runs and 28 runs batted in. During 63 games, 173 at bats, and 197 plate appearances, he scored 25 runs and had 36 hits, 10 doubles, two triples, four stolen bases, 68 total bases, three sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .289 and a slugging percentage of .393. Heyward’s triples came in two Dodgers wins where they reached double digits in runs scored. They came in a 10-3 Dodgers win over the New York Mets on May 29 and in a 14-7 Dodgers win over the San Francisco Giants on June 29.
Great Rookie Season
Heyward was an All-Star with the Braves in 2010. He was also a runner-up to San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey for the National League Rookie of the Year. He batted .277 with 18 home runs and 72 runs batted in. Heyward also scored 83 runs and had 114 hits, and has 29 doubles, five triples, 11 stolen bases, 91 walks, 237 total bases, two sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .393, and a slugging percentage of .456.
World Series Champion
Heyward was part of the Cubs team that won the 2016 World Series. However, during the six games against the Cleveland Indians, Heyward was not very effective. He only had three hits in 20 plate appearances for a batting average of .150.
Why did the Astros make this move?
Houston has some injuries to their outfield. Kyle Tucker has been out since June 3 with a shin problem, and Mauricio Dubon was injured on Sunday when he hit the wall making a catch against Baltimore.
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