The Los Angeles Dodgers are adopting a championship-or-bust killer mentality this season, which has resulted in some depth chart casualties.
The latest Dodger to hit the chopping block was 35-year-old outfielder Jason Heyward, whom Los Angeles designated for assignment on Thursday.
Heyward’s DFA was especially ironic because it came on the heels of Heyward hitting a go-ahead, pinch-hit three-run home run in what became his final at-bat for the Dodgers.
The moment was not lost on USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, who wrote about the Heyward DFA on Sunday.
“You know baseball is a cut-throat business when the Dodgers released outfielder Jason Heyward, one of their most popular players, after hitting a dramatic pinch-hit, three-run homer the previous night,” Nightengale said. “The Dodgers decided that he would be the odd man out with utilitymen Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez, and center fielder Kevin Kiermaier.”
Heyward’s DFA doesn’t take away from what has been a marvelous career so far, featuring five Gold Gloves, a World Series championship (2016), and an All-Star appearance in 2010.
Pressure is mounting for the Dodgers as the playoffs approach. Los Angeles is narrowing down its roster in preparation for a World Series run, and it was forced to let go a veteran presence in the process.
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