Jason Heyward reportedly agrees to terms with Cubs

Jason Heyward chose the Chicago Cubs chose over returning to the St. Louis Cardinals and has agreed to terms on an 8-year, $184 million deal. Heyward can play center field, but the Cubs could keep him in right field and move Jorge Soler to acquire a defense-oriented center fielder or pursue another starting pitcher under team control.

Not only does the move help the Cubs, it takes away from their biggest rivals – the Cardinals had Heyward last season and won the National League Central division, but the Redbirds need a replacement now. His career slash line is.268/.353/.431, but the Cubs are betting he will improve playing at Wrigley Field.

A 30-year-old switch hitter, Cabrera batted. In 126 games batting leadoff, Heyward has hit. He also scored 103 runs that year and had a. 370 on-base percentage.

The infield is set with Rizzo, free agent signee Ben Zobrist, Addison Russell and Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant.

Early rumblings on Twitter have sent Cardinals fans into a panic, but there are some that don’t mind seeing Heyward go. But the Cardinals are sniffing around, rumors have it. I’m just saying.

After a few years of building and biding his time Theo Epstein is doing to the Cubs what he did with the Boston Red Sox. Is someone on the Cubs on the outside looking in?

How ironic that Heyward was available for the Cubs to sign in free-agency because his service time began Opening Day 2010 with the Braves when he was just 20 years and 239 days old. Unfortunately, over the past two seasons, Heyward has only hit a combined 24 homers.

The Cubs built a lineup out of prospects and young players they acquired in trades, and it helped them reach the NLCS in 2015.

The creatively-structured contracts of Lackey and Zobrist, thanks in part to the cooperation of the Cubs business operation along with a mega local television contract expected to crystallize before the 2020 season, made it possible for the Cubs to acquire Heyward. “Zo” let it rip with the Royals down the 2015 stretch, and coming to the Cubs, relatively cheaply, is his reward.

Heyward has spent the overwhelming majority of his career in right field. A top three in the rotation of Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester and John Lackey is extremely solid.