Heyward has deal with Astros (source)
This browser does not support the video element.
PHILADELPHIA – The Astros are close to signing free-agent outfielder Jason Heyward, who was recently released by the Dodgers, a source told MLB.com on Tuesday.
The team has not confirmed the deal.
Heyward, 35, slashed .208/.289/.393 with six homers and 28 RBIs in 63 games with the Dodgers this year. The Astros have struggled to find consistent outfield production this year and would need to open a 40-man roster spot for Heyward.
Heyward has dealt with injuries that have limited his availability this year, unable to build on a 2023 season that saw somewhat of a career rebound. He hit .269 with 15 homers and an .813 OPS last season after signing with the Dodgers as a Minor League free agent following his release by the Cubs at the end of 2022.
For his career, which began with fanfare when he homered in his first MLB at-bat with the Braves in 2010, Heyward has hit .257 with 180 homers and a .748 OPS. He won the World Series with the Cubs in 2016, famously giving a speech to the team during a rain delay in Game 7 en route to the end of the team's 108-year championship drought.