Cubs land OF Heyward

The previous transactions presumably had an influence on Heyward, who agreed to an eight-year, $184 million contract – according to numerous reports.

Stay tuned to Da Windy City for more on the Jason Heyward deal and other Chicago Cubs updates.

The Heyward move comes days after the Cubs added super-utility man Ben Zobrist, who turns 35 next May, to a four-year, $56 million contract. Heyward reportedly had a $200 million offer for at least seven or eight years on the table, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, which was the first to report the news. He was used in the top seven spots in the batting order with the Atlanta Braves, who dealt Heyward last offseason in a swap that brought starter Shelby Miller – traded again Monday to Arizona – back to the Braves.

The move with Zobrist allowed the Cubs to make the trade with Castro and now the signing of Heyward could have a similar domino effect for the Cubs. He hit.293/.359/.439 for the Cardinals in 2015, with a. 346 weighted on base average (wOBA) and a weighted runs created (wRC+) of 121.

Yes, Heyward has made only one All-Star team, never driven in more than 82 runs in a season and hit 20-plus homers only once in his career.

With Jason Heyward on his way to the division-rival Cubs, the Cardinals are expected to make a run at free agent outfielder Alex Gordon, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Hayward joins a scary-loaded Cubs team and likely will play centerfield in Wrigley due to Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber.

“He’s the best defensive right fielder in the game”. Secondly, he is only 26-years-old, and they are going to get more than their money worth out of him.

So maybe now, with their star gone, St. Louis has an opportunity to take on an identity that resembles one of their 2011 selves, a season in which they won their eleventh World Series title.

Coming off a 97-win season in which they reached the National League Championship Series, the Cubs have to be considered the odds-on favorites in the NL heading into 2016.

After being swept by the New York Mets, its clear the Cubs have positioned themselves for a return trip the NLCS.