The Padres announced this afternoon that they’ve designated outfielder Jason Heyward for assignment. The move makes room on the 40-man roster for right-hander Bryan Hoeing, who has been activated from the 60-day injured list. Righty Sean Reynolds was optioned to make room for Hoeing on the active roster.
Heyward, 35, is a veteran of 16 MLB seasons who has enjoyed a decorated career since being selected 14th overall by the Braves in the 2007 draft. A well-regarded talent in the draft who rose to become the sport’s consensus #1 prospect prior to his big league debut in 2010, he turned in a brilliant inaugural campaign that year and finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting behind Buster Posey. He went on to hit .268/.353/.431 with Atlanta and St. Louis across his first six years in the majors before he reached free agency.
The outfielder’s elite defense in right field, solid hitting (118 wRC+), and the fact that he was entering free agency ahead of his age-26 campaign all made him one of the top free agents on the market. He eventually signed with the Cubs on an eight-year deal that went down as a bit of an albatross. While Heyward won a pair of Gold Gloves and a World Series championship during his time in Chicago, he hit just .245/.323/.377 (88 wRC+) across seven seasons with the Cubs and was ultimately designated for assignment prior to the final year of his contract.
For many players, getting DFA’d at the end of a large contract represents the end of the line. That wasn’t the case for Heyward, however, as he managed to bounce back with the Dodgers in 2023 and slash .269/.340/.473 (120 wRC+) across 124 games as their regular right fielder. He re-signed in Los Angeles for the 2024 season and turned in a roughly league average performance but was squeezed off the roster in the second half by trade deadline acquisitions. That led to a brief stint with the Astros where he hit .218/.283/.473 (104 wRC+) before returning to free agency and signing with the Padres.
Heyward’s production has fallen off some in his age-35 season, however. The outfielder has been limited to just 34 games by injury but even when healthy enough to play has hit a paltry .176/.223/.271 in 95 plate appearances. That’s difficult production to swallow from left field, especially for a player whose once-elite defense has grown shaky with age. With Gavin Sheets having settled into left field fairly nicely this season (122 wRC+) and the approach of trade season offering a new opportunity to add reinforcements, the Padres clearly felt that they had better uses for Heyward’s 40-man roster spot. The veteran was on the injured list due to knee inflammation at the time of his DFA, but the Padres will nonetheless have one week to either trade Heyward or place him on release waivers. As an injured player, Heyward cannot be outrighted to the minor leagues.
Heyward’s departure from the roster makes room for the return of Hoeing. The right-hander has spent most of his career with the Marlins but was traded to San Diego as part of the Tanner Scott trade last summer. 2024 was a banner year for the righty, as he posted a 2.18 ERA and 3.32 FIP across 53 2/3 relief innings, including a microscopic 1.52 ERA across 23 2/3 frames as a Padre. He was a surefire bet to be part of San Diego’s late-inning mix this year before right shoulder issues left the start of his season delayed. Now that he’s back in the mix, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him start getting high leverage opportunities with the Friars moving forward.
FINALLY! Now let’s trade for a LF!
Is profar available?
He is suspended till 7-02-2025 and signed long term with Atlanta
Shouldn’t take much to trade for him especially if the padres are willing to pay some of the contract
You guys can have Profar back. We’ll even take Heyward 1 for 1. Profar can start roiding with Tatis again.
It had to happen…
His offensive numbers before and after he was hit in the face tell a sad story. With his defense and a to that point above average bat the sky was the limit. Worked out enough for him, he got paid, but dang what could have been…
I don’t think it was because he got hit in the face. He always had a very iff-y swing. Even as a rookie when he was having a great season Chipper Jones had said many times he was going to have to eventually make some pretty big mechanical adjustments. He really just peaked early with the bat and kept playing good defense for many years.
Well, the Padres could trade for Tyler O’Neill….. not bloody likely
However, maybe this is a move to get Andrew Benintendi, I would love him for the O’s, but the O’s don’t really need a LF’er
The White Sox would most likely need to eat a large portion of what Benintendi is still owed in order to move him. He’s having a bit of a resurgence this season, but not enough of one for teams to be willing to take on the entirety of what he’s owed.
They need an adequate CF’er that can man the position until Tatis is 100%. Heyward would be a great mentor to soon to be called up Justin Crawford. Cal Stevenson for Heyward if I’m the Phillies. And if DD hooks up with a club desperate enough for offense and can unload Nick Castellanos for a bullpen arm, Heyward may even get some occasional PT in RF. Just don’t try to put him in for defense while Nick is there.
Umm..Merrill is the CF, and will be back either tonight or tomorrow.
And Tatis is 100%
I wouldn’t say he’s 100%, as he said he’s sore after last night’s game..but he’s in the lineup.
bumps and bruises for everyone. I guess no one is 100%.Point being, Pads don’t need a replacement for him to man his position until he’s 100%. He’s playing.
Glad to hear he is ok now
Say Hey kid give good meeting
Loooooooong overdue
I’m sure Profar is available
When is his 80 day banishment over?
9 more games or July 2nd without any rainouts or suspended games for Profar to return, pending any new violations!
But no playoff eligibility
Excellent career. Watching him chase balls in left this year was tough.. Body won’t do what the mind intends.
Hope he retires and gets into coaching.
He always seemed like a solid dude and he’s made a killing but… He seemed destined for so much more. I wanted him in the Bronx, thank goodness he didn’t sign with the Yankees. Solid D and a nice arm only carry you so far at an offensive orientated position.
Yankees would have a good fit. Those warning track fly balls are in the seats at Yankee Stadium.
I think the LF move for SD is either Jesus Sanchez or Brian Reynolds. Gonnacost. Gonna cost though.
Trenton Brooks. Not gonna cost.
I cant see the need for Bryan Reynolds at 15 mil / year for 6 years with his batting not being a lot better than J Hey in 2025. He isn’t the same guy as a few years ago.
I hope they pass. You can get that production for league minimum.
Bryan Reynolds has been rumored for several seasons now. Would be a great pickup if the team could somehow spin Bogaerts and at least 75% of that contract elsewhere but that is probably in the 5-10% chance of happening.
Reynolds has a negative WAR, a 74 OPS+, and is playing just plain awful defense while being owed over $80 million through 2030. Why would any team trade for him?
Baseballistthebest
Because Nutting may send you some good prospects if you take this contract off his hands. He may even throw in Hayes and his contract.
What would the Red Sox want with an aging, expensive, and bad OF?
This looks like the end of the line for him. Some people consider him a disappointment due to the astronomical expectations when he was a prospect, but he ended up carving out a pretty solid career. He wasn’t worth the contract the Cubs gave him, but he had a few solid seasons for them and played a big role as a team leader during their championship run.
Just fell to my knees in a walmart
So many bad replies come to mind, but I’m gonna take a pass.
Yeah, sounds a Cosmopolitan article waiting to happen.
I’ll say it: must be tough times to resort to that in a Walmart.
Could Jasdon Heyward help the Mariners?
No, worst hitting park in all of MLB.
Unless your nickname is “Big Dumper”, that is.
As a personal valet for Raleigh? Sure
Fascinating career. I wonder how many other players have something comparable.–going from star to marginal but still getting chances?
Lots of them. His Braves predecessor in that category is Jeff Francoeur – stud outfielder and heralded rookie, tailed off but played well enough to extend a long career.
Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel all came up with the Braves at about the same time, with Heyward 2nd in Rookie of year in 2010 and Kimbrel and Freeman finishing 1st and 2nd in 2011. Tremendous Trio to come up together!
Most people thought Heyward would have a better career than Freeman, too.
And Tommy Hanson was 3rd in RoY in 2009. Same general group of prospects.
Retirement here I come
he will resign with LAD and they move conforto — just kidding…time for Heyward to hang it up he is done.
A.F.T. I guess not even being able to hit in AAA was the final straw.
An unpopular view, but while his production suffered his defense was solid.
Heyward provided true leadership.
Disappointed.
Hey, when you recieve the dead ball, the Padres do, it’s almost an impossibility to hit.
The Padres have dead balls?
Haha, funny.
In a more serious note.
The Ohtani/Judge ball is legitimate.
Baseball has utilized the goldilocks ball,a home run derby ball and extrem dead ball.
Several years ago, MLB, used the excuse of a shortage due “manufacturing issues” during covid to use 2019 balls, which were livelier with a deader baseball.
MLB uses livelier balls for larger market teams vs a dead ball for smaller market teams.
Mixing and matching baseballs allows for MLB to control the outcome of games and ensure “the face of the sport” wins consistently.
lol, best conspiracy theory I have heard in a while😃
Multiple MLB players have made this assertion, and the “hard hit” data doesn’t lie.
The Padres are among the league leaders in ground ball outs.
Tatis hit his first home run in nearly a month and half.
The Padres are perceived as a small market team and are at the bottom of the league in homers.
The Dosgers are the among the leagues largest markets and have hit among the most home runs in the league.
These are facts but don’t let facts get in the way of a good conspiracy.
So when the bat boy or girl brings baseballs to the umpire, they know to get a handful of the good balls for Ohtani and Judge?
And give the Padres dead balls?
Do they get paid extra for helping “the cause”?
@aRedsman Simply look up the variance allowed in balls specifications per MLB rules. Manufacturers across various industries hold tolerances a fraction of the variance MLB allows and do so as standard practice.
They have already admitted to using juiced balls in 2019. There are various players claiming they have noticed differences in balls in th seasons since.
Really not a “conspiracy theory” when MLB has admitted to tweaking balls, admitted to balls of different specs being used, and continue to use a variance for specifications that was probably out of date at some point in the 90’s.
@Another The MLB has admitted to it in 2019 and blamed quality control due to supply chain issues on inconsistencies another season.
There also have been a few people who have gathered multiple gamed used balls and measured, weighed, tested, etc… for inconsistencies.
MLB used different baseballs in 2022, and juiced ones showed up at Yankees games – SBNation.com share.google/avMlZMX6mqVJX0Gxh
So if the Yankees games get juiced balls (I can’t believe I just said that), the other team benefits as well, correct?
It would seem there is no actual advantage to the Yankees, except their season stats offensively are better for individual players. Which increases their price tag when it’s time to get paid. So do the Yankees really benefit long term?
And the poor Yankees pitchers that have to pitch with juiced balls to batters with warning track power who start hitting home runs off them.
In an average MLB game they use between 96-120 balls. Its pretty easy to manipulate with that many being used.
Again MLB has already admitted to using different balls and. Numerous players have spoke out. On top of that a large sample size of game used balls has been tested, weighed, measured, etc… Its not a question of if different balls were used as we know they have. What is questionable to an extent is the degree to which MLB controlled the use of the different game balls. They were also found to be used in Yankees games. Its all been reported publicly, its not a conspiracy or myth it actually happened.
As for the Yankees, individual stats are production. Teams pay a premium for that type of production and big market teams seek it in free agency. Players who produce like Judge bring in a ton in revenue and our very marketable with name recognition. So yes the Yankees benefit from it. I’d they did not they would let every player who produces walk on free agency.
Sounds like the Pads should be sellers then before the trade deadline based on your exhaustive reportage. Couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the Pads batting coach minimizing launch angles and favoring a line drive approach/putting the ball in play given the home park’s dimensions. No, that would defeat the swollen, heavy balls narrative.
If you know you’re receiving a dead ball, you change your approach.
2023 the Pads were built for power and recieved a dead ball.
They changed their approach.
Launch angle means nothing with a dead ball.
You simply hit warning track fly balls.
Bro, I don’t even know what to make of this information. Except that you seem very familiar with the Padres balls.
Towinagain
You sound like a complete lunatic with this. The more “context” you add actually makes you sound even worse.
Please politely decline any and all glasses of Kool-Aid someone hands you
Hard hit data.
Near the bottom of the league in home runs hit.
Near the top of the league in ground ball outs.
Over 100 at bats between home runs from one of the leagues most prolific home run hitters.
Who is this team?
The Padres.
Who is this player?
Tatis.
What is this team? A “small market” team.
Facts.
Sounds like the change in his diet is affecting his numbers…
Manny’s numbers are up from last season.
In a word, drag.
Studies have shown a vaying degree of stitching in the construction of baseball.
Raised stitching increases drag resulting in up to four feet of a decrease in distance in balls with raised stitching vs balls with recessed stitching.
Stitching is indiscernable to the average baseball fan viewing a game at home but makes a big difference to a player on the field.
Manny has a higher average overall this year but a decrease in power output.
Simply put, he and the rest of the Padres have recieved a “dead ball” or rather a ball with stitching that is raised.
This has affected the teams approach.
The team has embraced a contact, small ball, style of play because balls that are elevated are only hit to the warning track.
Therefore the team has hit a substantial amount of infield hits, embraced the hit and run, and utilized the sac fly.
The Padres have to win on the margins, as MLB has completely neutralized any power output the Padres had.
The organization that had until recently, had been known as Slam Diego, and has a majority of that squad still in place, has all of the sudden failed to hit for power team wide.
There is a common denominator, the ball.
Tatis being in drag has nothing to do with anything.
Manny’s slugging percentage is up.
Yeah, Heyward’s D hadn’t dropped off and it’s not like the Pads had a ton of options.
The Yankees are in first place.
The Dodgers are in first place.
Both are the two largest markets in baseball.
Baseball awards the large market teams with a live ball.
Individual stats benefit large market teams which also possess a glut of star power.
Star power sells tickets.
The Padres have recieved one of MLBs deadest balls this year.
Why?
Market size.
Can’t have stars in “small markets”.
So you’re saying there are no stars on small market teams?
The Tigers have best record in baseball
And receive Comp B draft picks for being one of the smallest market/revenue franchises
They play in one of the largest MLB stadiums. They have hit the 9th most HR.
Fitting cherry picked data points to back up a conspiracy theory while ignoring the MOUNTAIN of evidence against your theory…just makes you look completely uneducated & ignorant
The Padres are among the league leaders in ground ball outs.
The Padres are at the bottom of MLB in home runs.
These are facts.
You can’t hit home runs off the ground…
J Hey
DFA
I would love to see Heyward come back home to Atlanta and retire as a Brave.
On a one day contract?
Yes, something like that
He would actually be an upgrade over Tommy Pham since he has 2 Hrs. Time to DFA Pham.
I was surprised when the Padres signed him and Gurriel AJ Preller trying to catch lightning in a bottle like the David Peralta signing last year. Both looked done in Spring Training and to me it seemed like like the Padres would have been well served by a youth movement to start the year. For once I was right.