Jason Heyward sounds like a man ready to bring the Chicago Cubs their first World Series in more than a century. Introduced at a press conference Tuesday, the newly signed outfielder made his goals for championship glory clear.
"It'd be a beautiful thing to win a World Series for one," Heyward said, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. "It's a no-brainer that it would be making history here."
Heyward, 26, agreed to an eight-year, $184 million contract on Dec. 11. He chose Chicago over hard pushes from the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals, with the former reportedly offering him more money, per CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.
The Cubs won Heyward over by allowing for player options following the third and fourth seasons, which will likely allow Heyward to maximize his earning potential. Heyman also reported the deal will have a full no-trade clause from 2016-18 and a $20 million signing bonus that's deferred in case of a work stoppage.
"As far as recruiting they [the Cubs] didn't have to do too much," Heyward said, per the Associated Press (via The Score). "They basically let the product on the field speak for itself."
Heyward spent the 2015 season with the Cardinals, hitting .293/.359/.439 with 13 home runs and 60 runs batted in. He also stole 23 bases and continued to develop a reputation as one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. FanGraphs ranked him third behind the Tampa Bay Rays' Kevin Kiermaier and the Toronto Blue Jays' Kevin Pillar.
"I don't have one bad thing to say about the Cardinals organization," Heyward said, per Gonzales.
It's unclear whether Heyward will play right or center field for the Cubs, but he indicated that did not matter. He'll join an outfield that already includes Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber, while newly signed Ben Zobrist can also help out in spot duty.
There's no clear loser in this arrangement. The Cubs are landing an in-his-prime Heyward at a cost that's at or even below his market value. Heyward is joining arguably baseball's best young nucleus and gets a contract that's as player-friendly as possible.
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