Jason Heyward: Rendezvous with Atlanta Braves in 2016?

During the 2015 offseason, the Atlanta Braves shipped Jason Heyward to St. Louis for Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins. Could he be back in Atlanta in 2016?

Jason Heyward was the golden boy for the Atlanta Braves, smashing a home run in his first big league at-bat against the Chicago Cubs. Heyward was a first-round pick out of McDonough, Georgia, in the 2007 MLB Amateur Draft. He then proceeded to make his Major League debut at the ripe age of 20 years old. Many believed Jason Heyward was the face of the Atlanta Braves’ franchise for years to come.

In Heyward’s first Major League season (2010), he hit .277 with 18 home runs and 72 RBI in 142 games. During that season, Jason Heyward went to his first-and-only All Star Game thus far in his young career; moreover, Heyward finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting, ultimately losing out to perennial All Star Buster Posey. Expanding on his impressive rookie campaign, J-Hey also finished in the top-20 for NL MVP.

With an introductory season like that, Atlanta Braves’ fans were clamoring with excitement over what the future held for Heyward, especially since he was only 20 years old. However, in 2011, Jason Heyward suffered from what many people across baseball call the “sophomore slump.” He regressed in nearly every statistical category, sporting a sub-par slash line of .227/.319/.389.

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Following his second season, Jason Heyward exemplified the power Braves’ fans were waiting for, belting a career-high 27 home runs while driving in 82 RBI. In addition to the improved bat, Heyward won his first Gold Glove Award, and he would add a second Gold Glove in 2014. Heyward boasts one of the strongest arms in the game and ranks among the league leaders in defensive WAR year-in, year-out.

In the 2015 offseason, John Hart dealt with the difficult decision of trading or keeping the expiring contract of Heyward. Hart ultimately decided on trading the highly praised outfielder to acquire talent rather than see him slip away due to free agency. Hart made the right decision trading away Heyward, but could the Atlanta Braves be in the market to acquire the outfield in free agency?

The Atlanta Braves’ outfield remains in limbo; none of the outfielders currently on the roster seem like they are in the team’s long-term outlook. Nick Markakis seems like the most “locked in” for the future, but he could easily be dealt as the Braves look to get younger, especially since he is 31 years old. Jason Heyward fits into the scheme that John Hart is trying to carry out, adding young, valuable talent.

At 26 years old, Heyward is a unique free agent due to the fact that he is so young. Heyward is likely to sign a lengthy deal (5-8 years), and the nice part is that he would be in his prime for the length of the deal. By him being a free agent at the beginning of his prime, Jason Heyward presents a win-win contract scenario; the deal he is likely to sign would be club-friendly as well as player-friendly.

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