Slugger Jason Heyward has decided to sign with the Chicago Cubs, spurning advances by the St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals, CBS Sports MLB Insider Jon Heyman confirmed Friday.Earlier, a report by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said that Heyward decided against re-signing with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Washington Nationals also fell out of the running after offering Heyward a deal in the $200 million range, Heyman reported.
It has been reported that Heyward has been seeking a deal in the range of 8-10 years for $20-$24 million per season.Heyward is the second player in free agency the Cubs have swiped from the Cardinals, already having signed right-hander John Lackey to a two-year contract. The Cards still could pursue other free agents on the board such as Chris Davis and Mike Leake.Heyward, 26, is coming off a 2015 season for the Cardinals in which he batted .293/.359/.439 with 13 homers and 23 steals in 26 attempts. He also claimed his third career Gold Glove. Across parts of six big-league seasons for the Braves and Cardinals, Heyward owns an OPS+ of 114. In each of the last two seasons, Heyward has eclipsed 6.0 WAR, with a lot of his value coming on defense.Based on what the Cubs outfield depth looks like right now, Heyward seems to be a good bet to play center in 2016, with Jorge Soler in right and Kyle Schwarber in left.David Brown/CBS Sports
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