Former Chicago Cubs outfielder finds a new home with another playoff contender

As the Chicago Cubs fade out of the playoff picture, one of their old friends is re-entering the race, this time in the American League. MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reported on Tuesday that Jason Heyward was nearing a deal to join the Houston Astros after his recent release from the Dodgers.

This latest twist in the 35-year-old outfielder's career comes after a season of struggles. He wasted no time lining up a deal to return to Los Angeles in 2024 after a resurgent 2023 in which he turned back the clock to his Atlanta days, albeit in a heavily protected platoon role. In his first tour with the Dodgers, he slashed .269/.340/.473 with a 120 wRC+ which would rank among his top-5 best full seasons offensively. However, he's fallen off this year with a 208/.289/.393 slash line and a wRC+ of just 91.

With the Dodgers facing a roster crunch between Mookie Betts coming off the injured list and a boatload of utility players, the former Cub was the odd man out. Houston, however, has a desperate need for a halfway-decent outfielder. Kyle Tucker has missed most of the season following a shin contusion, the rest of the mix hasn't been that inspiring, and injuries throughout the roster necessitate depth.

Even this late in his career with his bat struggling, Heyward still has value for his glove and his clubhouse leadership and thus keeps finding spots on good teams. During the eight-year, $184 million contract the Cubs signed him for, the lack of offense was massively disappointing, especially as that deal began to affect their ability to spend at the top of the market. The Astros, however, will benefit from his services at the prorated league minimum which is still very reasonable for a player and person of Heyward's caliber.

Jason Heyward will get another chance at the World Series

Although they're not the juggernaut Los Angeles is with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, Houston has bounced back considerably since their early struggles. At 70-61, they once again lead the AL West by 3 1/2 games over the collapsing Seattle Mariners. This team has managed consistent playoff success since winning their controversial 2017 World Series win and they look primed for another run thanks to their resurgent performance.

In a sense, Heyward is joining the team the Cubs always hoped they could be with him and the 2016 core. Where the Astros only continued to ascend, the North Siders quickly fell off and are mired in their second rebuild within a decade with no plans to change their spending strategies anytime soon. Heyward, while a positive influence during his stretch with the team, only had one above-average season by wRC+ - the shortened 2020 season.

Cubs fans likely still feel a bit of acrimony for how the Heyward deal worked out, but it does speak to his value on a team. His leadership in a critical moment on one particular Wednesday in Cleveland ultimately helped the team break its 108-year World Series drought. Even now, his impact is still felt in the Chicago community thanks to his baseball academy. It's easy to see why good teams would want him around now as depth and it's hard not to root for the guy wherever he goes in his search for another ring.