Throughout the offseason, we'll be taking a look at the top news and rumors from the Hot Stove League.
RUMOR: The Cubs want to land a haymaker to the Cardinals after jabbing St. Louis by signing free-agent pitcher John Lackey. Signing outfielder Jason Heyward, who spent 2015 with the Cardinals, would give Chicago a top all-around free-agent outfielder, plus allow it to use Jorge Soler as a trading chip, perhaps with the Braves for pitcher Shelby Miller.
REPORTED BY: The Chicago Sun-Times
TOP FREE AGENTS: 25 best | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP | RP
THE DETAILS: Heyward arguably was the top overall free agent going into the winter, definitely the top position player, and he certainly is the top one still on the market. Not only is he extremely young for a free agent (26), but he also brings a broad range of skills to the field every day, offensively (career .268/.353/.431 slash, 114 OPS+ 114 and 19 HR/162 G) and defensively (22.6 UZR in 2015).
LAST SEASON: Talk about a contract year. Heyward had a .293/.359/.439 slash line for the Cardinals, resulting in a career-best 6.5 WAR, and was even better at the plate in the postseason: .357/.438/.643.
OUR TAKE: Here's a win-win for the Cubs: Heyward would make an already very good Cubs team (97 wins in 2015) measurably better and they would be taking him from their archrivals, the Cardinals, in the rugged NL Central, where small things can make big differences. On the field, Heyward brings defensive flexibility (he could play right or center) and a big bat that could thrive in the friendly confines.
In the clubhouse, he brings relative veteran experience to a group of young, up-and-coming stars. The price wouldn't be cheap. He reportedly is seeking an eight-year deal at an average annual value of $20 million with possible opt-out clauses and potential backloading of the money. That's for Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer to figure out and pitch to Heyward's agent, but the Cubs clearly can afford Heyward, whatever the cost. More important: They can't afford not hitting the Cardinals with this signing.
