Jason Heyward

[Payton!34]

I hate this signing for the amount of money!

I feel like this signing might keep us from winning a World Series as the money would have been much better spent on quality pitching.

20 million per year for a lifelong 260-270 ba, 10hr guy??

It just blew me away at how much money you would throw at a career 265 hitter??

I don't see much light at the end of the tunnel. He has one of the worst swings I've seen in the majors. His elbows in approach is so weak!

He's a great character guy with speed and amazing defense but how much value does that add to his batting stats?

Dexter Fowler makes 9 million per??? Heyward is nowhere near twice as good as Fowler! That puts his salary into perspective. A switch hitting lead off man with power and average is pretty tough to find.

I understand timing is everything for players salaries but what does this do to the value of the really good players in this team still playing on team friendly deals?

I'm very disappointed in this guy and wish him well but I just don't think there is much ceiling in the future as long as hitting is concerned. He couldn't have better hitters surrounding him at the beginning of the year and it's only going to get worse at the bottom of the order

 

[Omeletpants]

Would love to see Heyward opt out of his contract, but that won't happen as no one will paying him what he is getting now, let alone more

Vegas is taking bets that his average will be closer to .200 by the end of the year than .230

 

[Payton!34]

I don't always agree with you omelet but I think we are on the same page here. I think he might be under .200 by the end of the year. I cringe every time I see a weak grounder to second.

He hits everything off the end of the bay too! He needs to get closer to the plate and get the bat much further away from his left shoulder to develop at least some power

 

[Omeletpants]

I don't always agree with you omelet but I think we are on the same page here. I think he might be under .200 by the end of the year. I cringe every time I see a weak grounder to second.

He hits everything off the end of the bay too! He needs to get closer to the plate and get the bat much further away from his left shoulder to develop at least some power

He was instructed by his hitting coach to stand further away from the plate

 

[Payton!34]

Wow! That's strange advice for someone who hits everything off the end of the bat.

I forgot to mention one point. How many wins will this guy cost us because we are too proud to not play him because of his salary?

how much would we lose if an Almora type player played instead of Heyward? I don't think much of anything and for 19.5 million less.

 

[Omeletpants]

Wow! That's strange advice for someone who hits everything off the end of the bat.

I forgot to mention one point. How many wins will this guy cost us because we are too proud to not play him because of his salary?

how much would we lose if an Almora type player played instead of Heyward? I don't think much of anything and for 19.5 million less.

Almora is not pro ready as a hitter. If the Cubs hadnt sent him down he would sink to .220

 

[Payton!34]

This signing reminds me a lot of the Sorian debacle of a signing!

I know fans want to see huge signings but most of them don't pan out. Most can't seem to handle the pressure or they take it easy after a huge pay day.

I certainly don't think Heyward is cashing it in but the pressure has to be huge for him knowing that he never deserved that type of money. He still gets the last laugh!

 

[Payton!34]

So Almora gets sent down because he probably would sink down to .220 but Heyward starts every day because he is a .220 hitter.

Heyward is a .250 hitter at best if you factor in his entire career. I just don't like his swing and even more so his approach at the plate.

sucks that we signed a player thought to be a contact hitter to compliment our current players and that just hasn't panned out.

I hope he turns it around but he will never be the type of player worth 20million and probably not even close.

I would expect at least .300 30hr type of production for that type of money.

 

[cubsmann]

Yeah Heyward does suck but its not going to cost us the WS this year. Everyone who has defended him kept saying "wait until..." Well its the end of July and he's hitting less than .230 and his OPS is around .600 which is well below the league average. But the whole reason we signed him was the get him off of the Cardinals. Along with Lackey I think losing these two guys has cost the Cards dearly this year. He won't opt out of $21M a year. Who would?! So I hope he has a better year next year which is always possible considering when he was with Atlanta he was one of the best players in the game and that was only 5 years ago. The guy is 28 and will probably be getting better. But I do agree that I would rather have Almora any day. Good thing we have them both. And at least Joe hasn't kept sending him out there hitting second. Your second place hitter should be one of your best. I like Heyward in the 6 or 7 hole and his defense has been outstanding.

 

[Payton!34]

Agreed! Sadly.

What positions would you like to the Cubs to address and who would you like to get?

I would like a high average left fielder maybe and some relief help.

I think the schwarber injury is huge. He is one of the best hitters that I've ever seen with true .350 40hr potential. His hitting would make everyone around him better. God, if he could ever learn to play catcher.

I think we can still win the World Series of we play well. Anyway,
Curious to see what people around here would like to see he Cubs do before the trade deadline!

 

[Parade_Rain]

Great thread.

 

[cubsmann]

I would love another LF bat and some relief help would be huge. I don't think anyone is going to get Chapman or Miller because I don't think the Yankees will trade either of them now that they have started the 2nd half off so well. The Yankees really need a reality check because if they think they're going to do anything this year then they're all high. So they are not going to get anything to help them rebuild which is what they really need. I say screw them because they have been so good for so long. They deserve a decade or so off

 

[Ari Bear]

Would love to see Heyward opt out of his contract, but that won't happen as no one will paying him what he is getting now, let alone more

Vegas is taking bets that his average will be closer to .200 by the end of the year than .230

Remember how bad the Alfonso Soriano signing seemed and we all complained about that? It doesnt look so bad now compared to the Heyward signing.

 

[Payton!34]

I was going to say this reminds me of the Soriano deal and how we were stuck with him and his salary for so long.

 

[Washington]

I cringe watching every Heyward at bat. I'd love to see him benched or hit in the 8/9 spot. He is brutal to watch. I expect him to be under .200 before the season ends.

I bet Theo wishes he has a do-over but I still believe he made the major push to sign him more based on showing up the Cardinals than adding his talent (or lack thereof). I think the same is true with Lackey and played a big role in his over paying Lester due to his ties to Boston.

 

[SilenceS]

Soriano signing wasnt even bad. Cubs fans are stoop. Its comical.

 

[Payton!34]

God Heyward blows

 

[pseudonym]

Bummed about Heyward's bat, but wasn't he brought in for defense?

 

[A.C. Milan]

Bummed about Heyward's bat, but wasn't he brought in for defense?

Yeah but then you should get a pinch hitter for him in the 9th with 2 men on and 2 outs instead to get a pinch runner for Rizzo

 

[Boobaby1]

Yeah but then you should get a pinch hitter for him in the 9th with 2 men on and 2 outs instead to get a pinch runner for Rizzo

So do you think that Heyward is going to continue to be a low .200 hitter? I will bet my life that he doesn't stay there. He is too good of an all around player to be like that.

This team isn't built around Heyward and his contract. It is 25 guys collectively that are 7 games up over the Cardinals. At least Heyward is playing every day and was able to spell Fowler in CF. It could be worse. The Cubs could have signed Fielder or Pujols in 2011 and not went after Rizzo. How did that work out where money is concerned? He is just a guy on the team. If it were that bad, don't you think Maddon would bench him?

Oh, and speaking of. The Cardinals get a double header in New York tomorrow against Syndergaard and Colon, and then probably face Verrett in game 3, and deGrom in game 4. They will have their hands full too.