Cubs To Release Jason Heyward At End Of Season
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer spoke to reporters, including Jesse Rogers of ESPN, relaying that outfielder Jason Heyward will not be with the club in 2023. That would be the last year of Heyward’s contract, but it seems the club will go in a different direction. Heyward is currently on the injured list with a knee injury, which Hoyer says he is unlikely to return from this year, per Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times. That means it’s possible Heyward has already appeared in his last game as a Cub. Hoyer says that Heyward will eventually be released, but will stick around the clubhouse while on the IL for the rest of the year due to his respected clubhouse presence, per Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. Hoyer says that he and Heyward have discussed the situation “at length,” per Rogers, with the Cubs wanting to give more time to younger players but Heyward wanting to continue playing. By releasing him for the offseason, he can return to free agency and look for his next team this winter.
It’s a noteworthy but hardly shocking development, considering how Heyward has performed over the life of the contract. After five seasons with Atlanta and one in St. Louis, the Cubs signed Heyward in December of 2015 to an eight-year, $184MM contract. At the time, the Cubs had just come out of a rebuild, making the postseason for the first time since 2008, still looking to snap their World Series drought that had been ongoing since 1908. One year previously, the club had signed Jon Lester as a way to signal their return to competition and the Heyward deal was one of many in the 2015-2016 season that compounded the club’s serious intentions.
In the first year of the deal, Heyward still provided excellent defense the same way he always had, but his offensive production took a nosedive. He hit .230/.306/.325 for a wRC+ of 72, or production 28% below league average, after having a wRC+ between 109 and 121 over the previous three seasons. His glovework still allowed him to produce 1.0 wins above replacement on the year, per FanGraphs, but it surely wasn’t what the Cubs had in mind when they laid out that massive contract. Nonetheless, the Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years, which surely helped washed down any bitter aftertaste for a while.
Heyward improved slightly in the years to come but still struggled to get back to the form he showed prior to coming to Chicago. From 2017 to 2019, he hit .260/.335/.406 for a 96 wRC+ He seemed to turn a corner in the shortened 2020 campaign, as he hit .265/.392/.456 for a wRC+ of 129, accruing 1.6 fWAR in just 50 games. However, he crashed back down to earth last year, hitting a paltry .214/.280/.347 for a wRC+ of just 68.
Despite those ups and down at the plate, he’s always been a productive player due to his defense. Even with last year’s mediocre output at the plate, he was still worth 0.1 fWAR on the year. Here in 2022, however, things have continued to slide, with Heyward hitting a meager .204/.278/.277 for a wRC+ of just 59, causing him to slip below replacement level for the first time.
Over the span of his contract, the Cubs shut their competitive window and entered another rebuild phase, with Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and other faces of their championship team sent elsewhere. With the roster now largely devoted to younger players, it seems they will devote their playing time to those guys, with Heyward getting nudged out. Hoyer mentioned Nelson Velazquez and Christopher Morel as two such players who could take over some of Heyward’s role, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune.
Heyward’s contract runs through 2023, with his salary set to be $22MM for that campaign. Given his performance in recent years, he will surely go unclaimed whenever he is placed on release waivers. He will then be free to sign with any team, with that club only having to pay the league minimum, with that amount being subtracted from what the Cubs pay.
Although this day has surely seemed inevitable for some time, it’s likely still emotional for many Cub fans. While there are segments of the fanbase that have grown impatient and been outwardly calling for this for some time, Heyward was still an integral part of one of the most important eras of Cubs’ baseball history, if not the most important. While he may have fallen short of some of the loftiest expectations, he was still a productive part of a team that broke a century-old title drought, making the playoffs in four out of his first five years with the club. Though Heyward could still land with another team next season, he will likely be forever associated with his time as part a legendary run of Cubs baseball.
Cubs Select Narciso Crook, Place Jason Heyward On Injured List
The Cubs announced that corner outfielder Narciso Crook has been selected onto the major league roster. Center fielder Jason Heyward is headed to the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 27, due to right knee inflammation. In order to create a 40-man roster spot for Crook, Michael Hermosillo has been transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day IL.
Crook, 27 next month, is in position to make his major league debut. He’s spent almost a decade in pro ball, originally entering the affiliated ranks as a 23rd round pick of the Reds back in 2013. A New Jersey junior college product, Crook played in the Cincinnati farm system until last year. His performance was generally inconsistent, but the 6’3″ outfielder slowly played his way as high as Triple-A. He spent the bulk of last season at that level, hitting .245/.360/.448 in 86 games.
The Reds never selected Crook onto their 40-man roster, and he qualified for minor league free agency at the end of the year. He inked a non-roster pact with the Cubs and has spent the whole season at Triple-A Iowa. Crook is hitting .268/.375/.510 with nine home runs through 184 plate appearances, drawing walks at a strong 11.4% rate along the way. He’s striking out nearly 30% of the time with Iowa, but the power and plate discipline were enough to get him his long-awaited big league look.
Crook adds a right-handed bat to the corner outfield and designated hitter mix for manager David Ross. The trio of Ian Happ, Christopher Morel and Rafael Ortega figure to assume much of the playing time. Heyward had already begun losing reps of late, as he’s having another very rough season. Through 151 plate appearances, he owns a .204/.278/.277 line with a single longball.
Hermosillo has been out since May 8 with a left quad strain. Today’s transfer rules him out for sixty days from that time, pushing his return window back to early July. The 27-year-old outfielder began some baseball activities last week but has yet to start a minor league rehab assignment.
Cubs Place Drew Smyly On Injured List
The Cubs have placed starter Drew Smyly on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 31, due to a right oblique strain. Chicago reinstated righty Michael Rucker and outfielder Jason Heyward from the IL, optioning outfielder Nelson Velazquez to Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move.
Smyly was pulled from his start against the Brewers on Monday after three innings because of oblique soreness. He’ll now head to the IL with a strain, the severity of which is yet unclear. Oblique strains often require upwards of a month of recovery time, but the grade of the strain will obviously impact how quickly the southpaw will be able to return. The Cubs haven’t yet specified a timetable.
Signed to a one-year, $5.25MM contract shortly after the lockout was lifted, Smyly has made nine starts with the North Siders. He has a solid 3.80 ERA across 42 2/3 innings, although he’s striking out a personal-worst 18.9% of opposing hitters. Smyly has compensated for the fewer punchouts with a career-low 5.6% walk rate, and he’s still generating swinging strikes on a quality 12.2% of his offerings. As he has throughout his career, Smyly has been prone to home runs, but he’s inducing ground-balls at his highest clip (47.8%).
If healthy, Smyly could be a fairly straightforward trade candidate before the August 2 deadline. He’s not going to bring back a franchise-altering return, but as a capable back-of-the-rotation rental on a noncompetitive Cubs team, Smyly would figure to draw interest. That’s contingent, of course, on his returning to health over the coming weeks and reestablishing himself on the mound.
Rucker has been out of action since May 17 with turf toe on his left foot. Heyward, meanwhile, has been down for the same amount of time while battling COVID-19 symptoms. He returns to both the active and 40-man rosters, and the Cubs needed to clear a 40-man spot for his reinstatement. They’ll do so by recalling righty Manuel Rodríguez from the minors and placing him on the big league 60-day IL.
Rodríguez, 25, made his first 20 MLB relief appearances last season. He struggled to a 6.11 ERA but averaged north of 97 MPH on his fastball. Unfortunately, he made just two April appearances with Triple-A Iowa before landing on the minor league injured list. According to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link), he’s dealing with a strain in his throwing elbow.
At the very least, Rodríguez won’t be eligible to return to the majors until August. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be healthy enough to make a late-season return. While he recuperates on the big league IL, Rodríguez will pick up major league service time and be paid at prorated portion of the $700K MLB minimum salary.
Cubs Activate Clint Frazier, Place Michael Hermosillo On The 10-Day Injured List
The Cubs activated Clint Frazier from the 10-day injured list today, sending Michael Hermosillo back to the injured list to create space on the active roster, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
Brandon Hughes has also been sent back to Triple-A after being an emergency call-up because of the club’s COVID issues. Hughes. 26, was not on the 40-man roster. He made five appearances since May 17th, tossing seven innings while yielding just two earned runs on four hits with a 9-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio.
The Cubs outfield situation, meanwhile, will continue to be a dynamic group for the foreseeable future. Seiya Suzuki, for instance, is out of the lineup today with a sprained left finger, but he’s not expected to be out for long. Jason Heyward, meanwhile, is cleared for baseball activities and “ramping up” to return to the team, per Montemurro. Another move will be required when Heyward officially returns.
Frazier was a low-risk gamble for the Cubs this winter, but he has not been able to get going as of yet. In just 10 games, Frazier hit .143/.250/.238 in 24 plate appearances with intermittent playing time. Now that he’s returned, Frazier should at least return to his role as a short-side platoon player.
In the long run, that may be a role that Frazier and Hermosillo will compete for. Hermosillo is the stronger defender of the two, but Frazier, theoretically, has more upside. In 17 games so far, Hermosillo has slashed .071/.257/.107 across 35 plate appearances with the big league club. Regardless, the Cubs have to be intrigued by Hermosillo after he hit ..306/.446/.592 with their Triple-A club last season.
Cubs Place Jason Heyward On IL, Select Brandon Hughes
The Cubs made a series of transactions in advance of tonight’s game against the division-rival Pirates. Most notably, center fielder Jason Heyward is headed to the COVID-19 injured list. He won’t count against the 40-man roster while he’s on the IL, and Chicago selected reliever Brandon Hughes to the majors in his place. The Cubs also optioned Conner Menez to Triple-A Iowa and recalled rookie Christopher Morel from Double-A Tennessee.
The team didn’t specify whether Heyward has tested positive for the virus. Manager David Ross told reporters (including Jordan Bastian of MLB.com) he’d been battling body aches and dehydration but is feeling better at the moment. Under the league’s 2022 health-and-safety protocols, players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence from the club, though it’s possible to be reinstated in less time if the player has gone 24 or more hours without a fever, received a pair of negative PCR tests, and been given approval from a team physician and the MLB/MLBPA joint committee (a panel of one league-appointed and one union-appointed physician).
Heyward is off to another slow offensive start. He’s hitting just .208/.288/.264, collecting only three extra-base hits (two doubles and a triple) through 80 trips to the plate. That’s not too dissimilar from his .214/.280/.347 showing over 104 games last season. Aside from a resurgence during the truncated 2020 season, Heyward has posted average or worse numbers at the plate throughout his tenure in Chicago. The five-time Gold Glove award winner has continued to play excellent defense in right field, and he’s worked as the team’s primary center fielder this year.
Rafael Ortega will probably hold down center with Heyward out. The left-handed hitter owns a .236/.333/.361 line in 29 games while bouncing between all three outfield spots and designated hitter. Ortega, a depth outfielder for the bulk of his career, posted a career-best .291/.360/.463 showing last season. That strong work was propped up by a .349 batting average on balls in play that has regressed towards his career norms.
Morel could work his way into the center field mix as well. The 22-year-old primarily played on the left side of the infield during his early days in the low minors, but he’s begun to log more time at all three outfield spots of late. The native of the Dominican Republic draws praise from evaluators for his athleticism and arm strength, so he could play a multi-positional role off the bench.
The righty-hitting Morel has been on the Cubs’ 40-man roster since the 2020-21 offseason, but this is his first MLB promotion. He’s posted big numbers with the Smokies in the early going, hitting seven homers with a .306/.380/.565 line over 28 games. He checked in 16th among Cubs’ prospects at FanGraphs and 29th at Baseball America this past offseason. Both outlets suggested Morel’s swing-and-miss propensity is likely to keep him as a utility type but praised his power potential.
Hughes is also in position to make his MLB debut. The left-hander was a 16th-round pick in 2017 coming out of Michigan State. A college center fielder, he converted to pitching in 2018 after a rough season at the plate in A-ball. Hughes took to the mound and has posted excellent minor league numbers, with a 1.96 ERA over 91 2/3 innings of relief. He has fanned 34.3% of career opponents against a manageable 8.6% walk percentage — with that latter mark standing out as particularly impressive control for someone so new to pitching.
This season, Hughes has split the year between Tennessee and Iowa. He’s yet to allow a run over 16 2/3 innings, serving up just five hits and a trio of free passes while punching out 22. Hughes has never appeared on an organizational ranking at FanGraphs or at BA, but that dominance in the upper minors will earn him a big league look.
In other Cubs’ news, Ross provided reporters an update on Marcus Stroman (via Bastian). The offseason signee has been out since May 8 after landing on the COVID list, but he’s been cleared to rejoin the club. Stroman threw a bullpen session today and could make his next start if he responds well to today’s mound work.
Cubs Activate Jason Heyward, Option Greg Deichmann
The Cubs have activated Jason Heyward from the IL, per a team announcement. In a corresponding move, Greg Deichmann has been optioned to Triple-A. This is the inverse of the roster move from 10 days ago, when Deichmann was called up as Heyward went onto the IL.
This was the first major league action for Deichmann, who just joined the Cubs in the Andrew Chafin trade. He got into seven games and made 23 plate appearances, hitting .174. At Triple-A this year, he has a slash line of .291/.425/.439, for a wRC+ of 124.
Heyward is now one of the few household names remaining after the Cubs’ deadline fire sale. Along with Kyle Hendricks and David Bote, he’s one of just three players on the team with a guaranteed contract for next season. He’ll make $22MM in 2022 and 2023 as he finishes out the eight-year contract he signed prior to the 2016 season. After an excellent 2020 campaign, he’s crashed back to earth this year, with a slash line of .198/.271/.322, a wRC+ of 63.
Cubs Promote Greg Deichmann, Place Jason Heyward On Injured List
The Cubs have placed outfielder Jason Heyward on the 10-day IL due to a left hand injury and recalled outfield prospect Greg Deichmann for his Major League debut, per a club announcement.
Deichmann, 26, only recently joined the organization when he was traded over from the A’s in the deal that send lefty Andrew Chafin to Oakland. He’s had a slow start in seven Triple-A games with the Cubs, but his overall body of work this season has been quite strong; in 285 plate appearances, Deichmann is batting .291/.425/.439 with four homers, 16 doubles, three triples and eight steals (in ten tries). He’s walked at a gaudy 18.9 percent clip that’s more than double the current MLB average and punched out at a 22.8 percent rate that would sit below today’s MLB average.
That keen eye at the plate is one of Deichmann’s calling cards and one of the reasons he’s been a fairly well regarded prospect in the A’s system despite not yet tapping into his considerable raw power. Deichmann has drawn a free pass in 13.2 percent of his career minor league plate appearances since being selected out of Louisiana State University by the A’s in the second round of the 2017 draft.
While Deichmann has never topped 11 home runs in a minor league season, he did swat nine long balls in just 95 plate appearances in the 2019 Arizona Fall League. He ranks as the Cubs’ 20th prospect at MLB.com and at FanGraphs, where Eric Longenhagen puts a hefty 70 grade (on the 20-80 scale) on his raw power. Deichmann has been used exclusively in right field this year, though he saw very brief spells at first base and in center earlier in his career. He’s not a burner on the bases or in the outfield, but scouting reports peg him for an average or slightly better arm.
Moving forward, Deichmann has the makings of a left-handed-hitting corner outfielder with some pop and strong OBP skills, though given his sub-.600 OPS against lefties over the past three minor league seasons, he may benefit from a platoon partner. The Cubs can certainly afford to give him consistent at-bats for the rest of the season, particularly with Heyward on the injured list. At the moment, Deichmann joins Ian Happ and Rafael Ortega in a largely overhauled Cubs outfield scene.
There’s no indication as to how long Heyward is expected to miss, but there ought to be room for a two-month Deichmann audition even if it’s a minimal absence for the soon-to-be 32-year-old Heyward. In 284 plate appearances this season, he’s batted just .198/.271/.322. The Cubs still owe Heyward a $22MM salary in both 2022 and 2023.
Cubs Activate Jason Heyward, Designate Nick Martini, Claim Dakota Chalmers
3:47PM: Left-hander Brad Wieck was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move for Abbott’s call-up, the Cubs announced.
3:14PM: The Cubs announced a trio of roster moves, including Jason Heyward‘s activation from the 10-day injured list. (The Athletic’s Meghan Montemurro was among those to report the news.) Chicago also designated outfielder Nick Martini for assignment, thus opening up a 40-man roster spot for right-hander Dakota Chalmers, who was claimed off waivers from the Twins. Right-hander Cory Abbott is also being called up from Triple-A to make his big league debut, FanSided’s Robert Murray reports (via Twitter)
A left hamstring strain forced Heyward to the IL on May 20, and the injury hiatus could allow the veteran outfielder something of a reset of his season. Heyward has hit just .183/.254/.341 over his first 138 plate appearances, an unfortunate slow start after the strong numbers he posted during the 2020 season. Through Heyward’s tenure in Wrigleyville (he’s in the sixth year of an eight-year, $184MM contract) has been marked by a lack of offensive production, Heyward was one of the team’s best bats in 2020, hitting .265/.392/.456 with six homers over 181 PA.
Martini was signed to a minor league deal in February, and saw his contract selected by the Cubs in May. The 30-year-old Illinois native has appeared in 12 games this season, mostly working as a pinch-hitter but he was only 1-for-12 in 15 total plate appearances. Martini has hit .261/.363/.366 over 303 total PA with the A’s, Padres, and Cubs at the MLB level, though much of that production came with Oakland during his 2018 rookie season. Martini has experience at all three outfield positions as well as first base, so this versatility and his knack for setting on base could potentially entice another team to claim him off the waiver wire.
Speaking of waiver claims, Chalmers joins the Cubs after being DFA’ed by Minnesota earlier this week. Chalmers made his debut at the Double-A level this season but the results haven’t been good, with a 9.49 ERA over 12 1/3 innings. Between Tommy John surgery and the canceled 2020 minor league season, Chalmers tossed only 39 2/3 total frames from the start of the 2018 season to the start of the 2021 minor league campaign.
Abbott has only a 6.39 ERA in 25 1/3 innings at Triple-A Iowa this season, his first experience of Triple-A ball. The 25-year-old will still get a look in the Show, potentially as a starter or as a reliever. MLB Pipeline ranks Abbott 15th on its list of the Cubs’ top 30 prospects, with his slider and curveball acting as his top pitches. “With an easy delivery that he repeats well and a fearlessness about challenging hitters, Abbott provides consistent strikes,” according to the Pipeline scouting report. Abbott was a second-round pick for the Cubs in the 2017 draft, and he posted some solid numbers in his first three pro seasons before hitting his Triple-A struggles.
Cubs Notes: Marisnick, Heyward, Arrieta
Cubs center fielder Jake Marisnick made an early exit from Sunday’s 6-5 loss to the Pirates, as a right hamstring strain forced Marisnick to depart during the top of the first inning. While pursuing a Wilmer Difo fly ball to left-center field, Marisnick seemingly took a bad step and then fell to the ground as Difo’s hit fell for a single. Marisnick was immediately removed from the game, with Kris Bryant taking over in center field and Joc Pederson replacing Bryant in left field.
Manager David Ross told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian (Twitter link) and other reporters that Marisnick will undergo further tests tomorrow to determine the extent of the strain. Hamstring problems were a recurring issue for Marisnick last season when he played for the Mets, as separate injuries to both hamstrings led to two separate trips to the injured list, and he ended up playing only 16 games in 2020.
Signed to a one-year free agent deal worth $1.5MM in guaranteed money, Marisnick was ticketed for a fourth outfielder role for Chicago. With Ian Happ injured, however, Marisnick has seen more regular duty in center field, and delivered in something of an unexpected way. Known for his defense more than his hitting over nine MLB seasons, Marisnick’s defense hasn’t been great (-1 Defensive Run Saved, -35.7 UZR/150) over 118 innings in center field, but he is hitting .264/.350/.623 over 60 plate appearances.
If Marisnick’s absence wasn’t enough, Jason Heyward was also removed from the game for a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning due to what Ross described as a problem with his right hand. Heyward is also undergoing examination from team trainers. It’s been a tough start to the season for the veteran outfielder, as Heyward is hitting just .173/.239/.317 over his first 113 PA.
The Cubs don’t play on Monday and they also have an off-day on Thursday, so it’s possible Heyward and Marisnick might have enough time to recuperate without a trip to the IL. That being said, being down two outfielders would leave Chicago pretty short-handed with Happ and Nico Hoerner also sidelined, and it would leave Bryant as the team’s top center field option. Cameron Maybin, Ian Miller, and Rafael Ortega are all available at Triple-A, though none are on the Cubs’ 40-man roster.
In better injury news for the Cubs, Jake Arrieta is tentatively scheduled to return from the injured list for a start against the Tigers on Friday. In a pregame chat with reporters (including Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago), Ross said that Arrieta felt good after a bullpen session yesterday, and would throw another bullpen on Tuesday or Wednesday. A right thumb abrasion sent Arrieta to the 10-day IL on May 4, so he would miss only the minimum 10 days if he was activated on Friday. Arrieta has a 4.31 ERA/4.63 SIERA and a below-average 20.7% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate over 31 1/3 innings for Chicago this season.
NL West Notes: Arenado, Braves, Cubs, Escobar, Belt
The Braves had some talks with the Rockies about Nolan Arenado before the star third baseman was dealt to the Cardinals, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (subscription required). Rosenthal also sheds some light on one of last offseason’s more intriguing rumors, the talks between the Rockies and Cubs about a trade involving both Arenado and Kris Bryant. Jason Heyward was also part of the negotiations at one point as the Cubs looked for payroll offset for Arenado’s contract, though the Rockies weren’t interested in adding any money beyond the 2021 season (which marks the end of Bryant’s current contract and when Arenado could have exercised his opt-out clause).
As Rosenthal notes, the Cubs could end up looking back on those talks as “a what-might-have-been” given that they’ll now be facing Arenado on a regular basis in the NL Central. From Colorado’s perspective, such a trade might not have been a clear win if a Rockies-bound Bryant had suffered a similar run of injuries that hampered him in the actual 2020 season, but it still might have drawn better reviews than their trade package from St. Louis. “Rival executives remain baffled by the deal,” Rosenthal writes, as the Rox rather inexplicably worked themselves into an unsalvageable situation with their best player.
More from the NL West…
- Also from Rosenthal, the Diamondbacks have been receiving some interest in Eduardo Escobar but the team doesn’t appear to much interest at the moment. If a trade happens at all, it might not happen until closer to the trade deadline if the Snakes aren’t in contention, since Arizona would want to give Escobar a chance to rebuild some proper trade value. Escobar struggled to a .212/.270/.335 slash line over 222 plate appearances last season, a major step down from his very solid performance in 2018-19. Signed to a three-year extension in October 2018, Escobar is also scheduled to hit free agency next winter, so he has all the more incentive for a bounce-back year.
- Brandon Belt underwent heel surgery in October, and the Giants didn’t give any specific timeline as to when the first baseman could be back in action. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi shed a bit more light on the subject when talking to reporters (including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area) this week, saying Belt was “not a certainty” and only “a possibility” to play on Opening Day. On the plus side, Zaidi said the team has been pleased by Belt’s rehab thus far, and more will be known once they get a look at Belt during Spring Training. Belt is coming off a huge year for San Francisco, though the team should be able to make do in the event of a relatively brief absence for Belt, due to the number of players on the roster with first base experience — Wilmer Flores, Austin Slater, Darin Ruf, regular catcher Buster Posey, and new addition Tommy La Stella.