Cut loose by Cubs The Cubs granted Heyward (knee) his unconditional release Monday. Impact Chicago reinstated Heyward from the 60-day injured list last week in what amounted to a procedural move, but he won't stick around on the 40-man roster after Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer previously announced in August that the veteran outfielder wouldn't be retained for the 2023 season. Though Heyward was an everyday player and positive clubhouse presence on the Cubs' 2016 World Series-winning squad, he was otherwise a massive disappointment after inking an eight-year, $184 million deal with Chicago in December 2015. Over his seven seasons in Chicago, Heyward slashed .245/.323/.377 (88 wRC+) across 2,836 plate appearances. The Cubs will eat the remaining $22 million on Heyward's deal while allowing the 33-year-old to hit free agency, but he's unlikely to fetch much more than a minor-league deal or a low-cost one-year MLB deal on the open market this winter.
NOVEMBER 14, 2022 • ROTOWIRE