Marte is versatile, able to play second base, shortstop and center field with his speed and range. A lot of things did not go our way at one time. Yes, Corbin helped the Nationals to the clubs first title with a 3.25 ERA back in 2019, but its hard to accept the rest of his contract being an unmitigated disaster. Overpaid: Rougned Odor, Texas Rangers ($12.3 million). One could make the case for Buster Posey over McCann, but Posey gets the edge since his projected WAR is higher (2.3) than McCann's (1.0). A ground ball king at the plate, Hosmer ranked 115th out of 132 qualified hitters in ISO in 2021 (.126), and had the second-highest ground ball rate in the game (55.5%). This is an updated version of an article that ran on MLB.com on Sept. 29. Jason Heyward was a somewhat controversial player even before this year. And never mind pitcher Edwin Jacksons four-year, $52 million deal for a three-year stretch during which he was statistically the worst starting pitcher in the league before moving to the bullpen eventually getting released halfway through his third season, with a minus-3.5 WAR to show for his Cubs career. But not even thinking that way. But this year he's not. Pre-arbitration players were not included, and all players on this list are active and on 40-man rosters. Contract extended to 2027 for KISD superintendent (3) Reader says it's only possible to help homeless who want to be helped (3) Killeen reader points to hidden costs of 'electric revolution' (2) Cubs president Jed Hoyer announced Monday the club intends to release veteran outfielder Jason Heyward from the final year of his deal at the end of . So back to Heyward. In the six seasons before signing an eight-year, $184 million contract with the Cubs, Heyward averaged a .784 OPS while hitting below league average just once. Did it bring more attention? If his bat falls off even a little in the coming years, this contract will become a nightmare. Heyward says 'I'll rock that badge' of maligned contract, Jason Heyward plans to play in '23 then return to Cubs, Heyward appreciates Cubs being real, not 'blowing smoke', Jason Heyward's lasting moment one of Cubs' biggest ever. 2023-2023 However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. The team signed him to an eight-year, $184 million deal prior to the 2016 season. 4 - Of the prospects, Busch, Outman and Cartaya have all looked overmatched - Outman has looked particularly bad at the plate, but very good in the field. Heyward, who turned down 10-year, $200 million offers from the Cardinals and Nationals to sign with the Cubs, said there were times after joining the Cubs when he found himself getting lost in what makes you stand out as a player as he tried to fit in with a new coaching staff and team. Although he was a big part of their Game 7 World Series win that ended a 100+ year drought, the Jason Heyward experiment did not go well in Chicago. Even his defense has gone from elite to good in recent years. From his comments on the subject, per NBC Sports Chicago: Well, I feel like Im a very fortunate person to be in a select group of players that earn bad contracts, because theres a lot of bad contracts out there, if thats how were looking at it, right? However, he'll be 34 this summer, and that's a lot of money for a replacement level player. Tatis may end up being a bargain in the later years of his contract, but there are a few players on long-term deals who could be considered overpaid when you take into account their production, or lack thereof in some cases. https://t.co/tavPGTMq6g, Joe Sheehan (@joe_sheehan) August 15, 2016. He is a career .257 hitter with 159 home runs. Keirmaier has a high-risk/high-reward style of play, often running into walls at full speed to chase down fly balls, so he's been somewhat injury-prone, which hurts his value. The trade that brought him and closer Edwin Diaz to New York in exchange for prospect Jerred Kelenic is looking worse every season. To see the rest of the Jason Heyward's contract breakdowns, & gain access to all of Spotrac's Premium tools, sign up today. The veteran Cubs outfielder turned in a 68 OPS+ in 2021 and followed it up in Cactus League action by striking out in 11 of his 28 trips. He has a career line of.281/.371/.538 with a .909 OPS, and if he continues to improve this contract will continue to be a steal. Underpaid: Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres ($1.715 million). #Diamondbacks #Nationals pic.twitter.com/dnmPNWF8h6. While 2016 was another All-Star campaign for the future Hall of Famer, it would be his last. (CBS) The Cubs officially introduced newly signed outfielder Jason Heyward at a press conference in . I think thats probably the toughest thing I had along with just wanting to win for this fan base, he said. The good news? Theyre gladiators. With the Cubs payroll at the luxury tax threshold, that added insult and financial injury to the organizations failure to develop pitching and effectively marked the rapid decline of that cores competitive timeline. Heyward, still only 33, was a dynamic defender . Heyward's one of the worse overpays, at least for this year. The Texas Rangers outfielder is a good example of a three true outcomes player; he hits for power and is still only 27 years old, so at $6.2 million he's underpaid. And never mind pitcher Edwin Jacksons four-year, $52 million deal for a three-year stretch during which he was statistically the worst starting pitcher in the league before moving to the bullpen eventually getting released halfway through his third season, with a minus-3.5 WAR to show for his Cubs career. Pretty well. The fact that the same team is on the hook for both of them earns the Nationals our top spot. Hader is still under the Brewers' control for three more seasons, so he'll continue to be one of the best bullpen bargains in baseball. The second. Well, I feel like Im a very fortunate person to be in a select group of players that earn bad contracts, because theres a lot of bad contracts out there, if thats how were looking at it, right? he said Thursday as he met with the media for the first time since last months announcement that the Cubs will release him from the final year of the contract after the season. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. At the time Longoria signed his six-year, $100 million contract he was still a key piece for Tampa Bay, but now he's one of the San Francisco Giants' many aging veterans. Heyward's isn't all that close. The Cubs signed Heyward to an albatross eight-year, $184 million deal back in 2016, and it's not set to expire until after the 2023 season. He's slashed .301/.374/.582 with a .956 OPS. He provides great leadership.". ESPN.com. By contrast, the Cubs paid $13 million for Dexter Fowler for one year; he'll probably end up at about 4 WAR. The 27-year-old's numbers have steadily declined since he agreed to a six-year, $49.5 million contract with the Rangers before the 2017 season. But there's no way he would have found. Jason Heyward heard the naysayers and critics almost from the moment he signed a Cubs -record $184-million, eight-year contract a few months before the Cubs opened the 2016 curse-busting. Heyward's defensive metrics, while still positive, dropped along with his offensive production last year, and that's where a lot of his value comes from. "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. 6 overall. CHICAGO -- Jason Heyward has been around long enough to understand the Cubs' current landscape. Hoyer didn't rule out a role for Heyward with the organization after he retires but indicated that the veteran told him he wants to keep playing. People can say 'bad contract,' this and that, but I know I also had my hand in a lot of winning baseball here on the north . The new contract started in 2012, exactly when his. Bleacher Nation Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. The Dodgers made one tweak to Heyward's mechanics (with his hand positioning) and the results are a brand-new swing . But I have so much respect for that and understanding as someone who was a baseball fan growing up, on the other side of that. Overpaid: Evan Longoria, San Francisco Giants ($16.5 million). It took that group. But not even thinking that way. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. RELATED: Jason Heyward plans to play in '23 then return to Cubs, RELATED: Heyward appreciates Cubs being real, not 'blowing smoke'. Underpaid: Jacob deGrom, New York Mets ($22 million). Justin Upton was productive for the Angels in 2018 but endured his worst season in the majors in 2019. But I know I also had my hand in a lot of winning baseball here on the North Side of Chicago.. The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed former All-Star Jason Heyward to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Heywards deal cost a lot more, for more years, but he filled a huge defensive need unique to the other bidders at the time for a Cubs team with a collective sieve in the outfield and made others around him better even if he didnt deliver for himself in the lineup. Acuna's 5.3 WAR projection would be the third-highest behind Trout and Cody Bellinger. But Heyward is earning the type of money that serious sluggers get, and he hasn't exactly been that. Overpaid: James McCann, New York Mets ($8.15 million). $17.5 million contract with the Cubs. Thats not acceptable offensive production from the first base position. Moncada's 2020 season was affected by the coronavirus. I got to thinking about Heyward because of something the great baseball journalist Joe Sheehan tweeted. Soto has already posted an OPS+ of 151, which is the 11th highest in history among players of the same age with a minimum of 500 plate appearances. But for some onlookers, $184 million for Heyward, who only hit 13 home runs in 2015, seems exorbitant. Six weeks later, the Cubs signed outfielder Jason Heyward to an eight-year, $184 million contract. Hoyer was asked what he'll remember most about Heyward's time as a Cub. It took that group. Nothing can cripple, or at least handicap, a franchise for years like that of overpaying the wrong player(s). He, rumored to be shopping their center fielder. Individually, each of these contracts are among the five worst in baseball currently. He's going to command a big contract and likely a larger average annual value than what we have seen Atlanta give out to anyone. Did it bring more attention? I think thats probably the toughest thing I had along with just wanting to win for this fan base, he said. Ben Zobrist is $14 million a year, but will probably be about a win better than Davis. Heyward says 'I'll rock that badge' of maligned contract originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago. He decided to accept a long-term contract with the Atlanta Braves at just 21 years old. The North Siders thought they were getting a franchise player going into his prime with the acquisition of gold glover Jason Heyward. He was extremely influential in Boston's World Series run. I appreciate being able to have that. The Dodgers fixing Jason Heyward this quickly is bad news for Cody Bellinger. His numbers are what they are, and Chicago has younger players the front office wants to evaluate as the focus on the field increasingly shifts to the future . If he hits 40 or more home runs like he did in 2017 and 2018, he'll set himself up for a big free-agent payday in 2023 if the Rangers don't extend him first. A look at the injuries for Jason Heyward, and the financial implications. Underpaid: Juan Soto, Washington Nationals ($8.5 million). J. On Wednesday, the Cubs granted outfielder Jason Heyward (left) his unconditional release. They've benefited from the cheap labor of Bryant and Baez, and Heyward and the fans will always have 2016 -- no matter what happens the next five years.". Subscribe here (Opens in new window) Subscriber Services (Opens in . According to FanGraphs, the 26 . But if the biggest contract in franchise history is the bad contract even Heyward seems to acknowledge, is it the worst in franchise history? This website is not directly or indirectly affiliated, associated, or connected in any way to Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League or the National Hockey League. I think it's been a bit frustrating the last year and a half.". In a move that seemed like a massive overpay from the day it was signed, Eric Hosmers eight-year, $144 million contract with the Padres is aging about as poorly as expected. In fact, it is that value as a person, teammate, and behind-the-scenes role model that current and former teammates say contributed to an unprecedented run of six consecutive winning seasons for the Cubs, including the 2016 World Series championship, even as he struggled on the field. Here's Joe Buck on Twitter, Thursday: It's highly unlikely that the Cubs will find a trade partner for Heyward given his contract and numbers on the field. Robinson Cano of the New York Mets would have taken the top spot on this list, but he won't be paid his $24 million salary ($3.75 million of which would have been paid by the Seattle Mariners) this year because of a PED suspension. Have past deals scared Cubs away from free agent market? That was the bottom line, he said. Comments by third parties are neither sponsored or endorsed by Bleacher Nation. It's just a media site that happens to cover MLB, the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, the Chicago Cubs, the Chicago Bears, the Chicago Bulls, and the Chicago Blackhawks. I understand why people say bad contract and this and that. Now, they are tasked with turning things around this year, in what should be a competitive National League once again. Can the north siders find a way to off-load his salary? The Milwaukee Brewers right-hander was nothing short of dominant in his first three seasons and was rewarded with All-Star selections in 2018 and 2019. Secondly, Cano was suspended for the entire 2021 season due to his second run-in with PEDs (although that did save the Mets from paying him $20.25 million, so maybe it was actually a win for them). Last year, there was a strained oblique and a glute muscle injury. Payroll and salary data are all courtesy of Spotrac.com, and stats are all from Fangraphs and Baseball Reference. The North Siders thought they were getting a franchise player going into his prime with the acquisition of gold glover Jason Heyward. Information on Bleacher Nation may contain errors or inaccuracies, though we try to avoid them. But the Rays are probably still better with Keirmaier in the lineup since there isn't another outfielder waiting to step into his place in center. And through every up and down in that season, it didnt matter. "It might have been a lot," Freeman said of his part in getting Heyward in LA. 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