Jason Heyward to Cardinals: Latest Trade Details, Comments and Reaction
Jason Heyward was once the future of the Atlanta Braves organization. Now, he's a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Per the Braves' official Twitter account, Heyward was dealt to St. Louis on Monday in a four-player deal:
Heyward later thanked the Braves and its fans:
"Braves fans, coaches, teammates, #BravesCountry
While it may not have worked out long term I’m very blessed to have played at HOME for the same Organization I was invested in as kid growing up in McDonough, Ga. Played for The Great Bobby Cox, said farewell to a first ballot Hall Of Famer Chipper Jones after an unbelievable career. I made many great friends and became as close as family with most. Thank you for that. Thank you for applauding my effort and passion for the game of baseball. Thank you for acknowledging my love for rockin The “A” on my work hat. Been a pleasure to have called HOME my workplace. As we part ways know that the memories will be carried with me for the rest. Reaching out to say that I won’t forget where I’m from and you’ll always see me playing the game I love with passion and heart. Knowing and appreciating the fact I had the pleasure of creating heartfelt memories with so many people the past 5 years. Thank you again for your heart, thank you for the motivation and excitement.
THANK YOU for the LOVE
"
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Following that message, Heyward also discussed his newfound relationship with Cardinals fans:
"First full day as a St. Louis Cardinal! Hasn't even been 24hrs and the fans have made me feel so welcomed! I can tell this is going to be a lot of fun; I'm anxious to get started. I hope to meet many of you in St. Louis in January along side my new teammates!!!
"
GO CARDS!!!!
Heyward, 25, was once the crown jewel of the Braves farm system and was the runner-up for 2010 National League Rookie of the Year.
He hasn't quite lived up to the huge expectations, however. This past season, he hit .271 with 11 homers, 58 RBI, 74 runs scored and 20 stolen bases in 149 games. He also won his second Gold Glove.
Atlanta president of Baseball Operations John Hart commented on the decision to move on from Heyward, via the Braves:
Heyward thanked the fans in Atlanta for their support over the years via David O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
In exchange, the Braves are getting one of the more intriguing young pitchers in baseball, Shelby Miller, who finished the 2014 season 10-9 with a 3.74 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 127 strikeouts in 183.0 innings pitched. Just 24 years of age, Miller has the potential to be an excellent pitcher for years to come.
Tyrell Jenkins is also an interesting young pitching prospect. Just 22, he has shown steady improvement in the minors and finished last season with a 2.22 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 24.1 innings for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League (h/t Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
Perhaps that is part of the reason this deal went through. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports offers another perspective on why the Braves perhaps were willing to move Heyward:
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports adds:
It's hard to know if the Braves view this as a rebuilding move or rather a retooling of the pitching staff after a disappointing season that saw them miss the playoffs. Miller and Jenkins certainly are brimming with potential. Once, Heyward was viewed similarly.
Now, however, it appears the Braves feared he'd never quite live up to that potential. The Cardinals, on the other hand, clearly believe his best baseball is yet to come.
