Jason Heyward Released by Cubs With $22M Remaining on Contract

The Chicago Cubs have officially released outfielder Jason Heyward after seven seasons with the team.

Heyward still had $22 million remaining on the initial eight-year, $184 million deal he signed ahead of the 2016 season, which ran through 2023. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer still said the team planned to move on at the end of the season.

"We want to give him a full offseason to be able to go out and find an opportunity," Hoyer said in August. "We'll go our separate directions at the end of the year."

The 33-year-old last played in June before going on the injured list with a knee injury. He finished the 2022 season with a .204 average, .278 on-base percentage and one home run in 48 games.

Over his tenure with the Cubs, Heyward posted a .245/.323/.377 slash line with 62 home runs in 744 games.

Despite his struggles at the plate, the veteran helped the team with his fielding—he won two of his five career Gold Glove Awards in Chicago—while providing valuable leadership in the clubhouse.

Heyward notably gave an inspiring speech during Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, helping the Cubs win their first title in 108 years.

"He never stopped working. Never stopped trying to earn his contract," Hoyer said. "In a lot of ways the emotional leader of a group of players that broke the curse here."

With the Cubs now in the midst of a rebuild, it was time to move on from Heyward and instead play the younger talent in the organization.

The one-time All-Star could now seek a fresh start with a new team, although there could be a limited market for the light-hitting player.