CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs officially announced the signing of prized free agent outfielder Jason Heyward on Tuesday, adding a three-time Gold Glove winner in their continuing makeover to build a World Series contender.
The Cubs were scheduled to introduce Heyward at Spiaggia Restaurant, one of President Barack Obama’s favorites, after agreeing to a $184 million, eight-year contract last week. The signing of Heyward is the latest in a series of big moves as they try to bring home the franchise’s first championship since 1908.
Chicago won 97 games last season and knocked out NL Central rivals Pittsburgh and St. Louis before getting swept by the New York Mets in the NLCS.
Since then, the Cubs have also added pitchers John Lackey and Adam Warren along with infielder Ben Zobrist. Lackey, like Heyward, left the rival Cardinals for the Cubs and figures to be Chicago’s No. 3 starter behind NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester.
Lackey signed a $32 million, two-year deal, while Zobrist agreed to a $56 million, four-year contract. Warren was acquired from the New York Yankees for Starlin Castro.
The 26-year-old Heyward, an All-Star in 2010, hit .293 with 13 homers and 60 RBIs last season. He helped St. Louis win the NL Central after spending his first five big league seasons with Atlanta.
Heyward has a .268 career batting average and has hit more than 18 home runs just once. But the Cubs are counting on him to help strengthen a batting order that includes young sluggers Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber along with Addison Russell. All are 26 or younger, with Rizzo a two-time All-Star and Bryant a unanimous pick for NL Rookie of the Year.
The Cubs also are counting on Heyward to help solidify their outfield, whether they keep him in right field or move him to center. If Heyward plays right, they could try to trade Jorge Soler for a pitcher or center fielder.
Either way, expectations are soaring in Chicago after the Cubs finished with the third-best record in the majors and in their division. The moves just reinforce how serious they are about getting to the World Series for the first time since 1945 and ending a 107-year run of futility and near misses.
With the big moves this offseason not to mention the signing of Lester to a $155 million deal and hiring of manager Joe Maddon after the 2014 season, chairman Tom Ricketts has opened the checkbook in an effort to bring a championship to the North Side.
Heyward should have plenty of prime seasons remaining. That’s a big difference from the $136 million, eight-year deal the Cubs gave Alfonso Soriano under previous ownership and management before the 2007 season. Soriano was 31 at the time, and while he helped Chicago win division titles the first two seasons, his deal became a burden as his play started to decline.
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