Chicago Cubs need Jason Heyward to play centerfield especially if his bat doesn’t improve

Looking for a prayer?

For whatever reason Heyward just seems to have lost it. I recognize that there is a chance that the change of hitting coach gives Chilli Davis the chance to make the kind of breakthrough with Heyward that John Mallee and Erik Hinske could not.

But as an organization, the Cubs must recognize that there is a chance that the Heyward of the last two years is the version of Heyward that the Cubs might be stuck with for the rest of his contract.

If Heyward doesn’t get any better at the plate, there is nothing that says the Cubs have to keep sending him out to right field every day (even with the most expensive contract in team history).

But if you might remember that was not the original plan when the Cubs first signed Heyward. When the Cubs first signed Heyward, he was going to play mostly center field. Kyle Schwarber was projected to be the everyday left fielder, Jorge Soler was expected to be the starting right fielder, and Albert Almora was still proving himself in the minors.

That outfield configuration had been the Cubs plan for a while. The year before when the Cubs were recruiting Jon Lester, they showed him a projected line up for 2016 that featured Heyward playing center field.