Jason Heyward
Position: Right Field
Bats: Left — Throws: Left
Born: August 9th, 1989 (Age 26)
Because of the Mets stellar starting rotation, having a good defense behind them is imperative. There is one free agent that provides consistently stellar defense, and that is right fielder Jason Heyward.
At just 26 years old, Heyward has already won three Gold Glove awards (2012, 2014, 2015). He played for the Atlanta Braves until 2014, so many Mets fans are well aware of his defensive exploits. Last year he played for the St. Louis Cardinals, and he continued his fantastic play in right.
And while his glove is one of his best attributes, Heyward can also impact a game with his huge bat. He is a career .268/.353/.431 hitter, and has stolen at least 20 bases and homered 20+ times, three times already in his young career.
Heyward had a tremendous offensive campaign in 2015. He batted .293 with a .359 OBP and .439 SLG in 610 plate appearances with a .346 wOBA, 121 wRC+ and a career high 6.5 WAR. The raw numbers included 33 doubles, 13 home runs, 60 RBI, 79 runs scored, and 23 stolen bases in 154 games for the Cards.
He finished 15th in MVP voting, two spots behind Yoenis Cespedes (13th) and three ahead of Curtis Granderson (18th).
Last year, he was vastly more effective against right-handed pitching, hitting .301/.364/.470 with 11 home runs against them, as opposed to .272/.344/.364 with two home runs against southpaws.
What makes Heyward so enticing is that he still has a lot of room to improve and his best is yet to come. Many scouts believe he has yet to reach his ceiling, so the team that scoops him up this offseason might get more than they hoped for.
Contract: According to MLB Trade Rumors, one GM thinks Heyward could sign an eight-year, $175 million deal with an opt-out clause after four years. This way Heyward could hit free agency again when he’s only 30 years old and in good position for another major contract.
Recommendation: Sadly, pass. While he is definitely a great young player, and extreme cost aside, the Mets have nowhere to put him. They already have promising Michael Conforto in left, Juan Lagares in center, and Granderson for two more seasons in right. The Mets are reportedly shopping for a center fielder to platoon with Lagares and will not make any big-splash signings like Heyward or Yoenis Cespedes. My guess is he either goes back to St. Louis, or heads north to the Cubs.
