Jason Heyward has traveled one of the most fascinating careers in recent baseball memory.
He was the No. 1 prospect in baseball for the Braves. When he arrived, he gave off vibes of Ken Griffey Jr.
Heyward was the best defensive right fielder MLB had seen in a long time. He earned a huge contract with the Cubs. He gave a legendary Game 7 rain delay speech that ended Chicago's century-long drought.
But his bat regressed. His fielding regressed. His speed regressed. He seemed to be done, then had a brief renaissance with the Dodgers.
But now with the Padres, Heyward looked washed up again before an injury put him on the shelf.
And on Saturday, the Padres designated Heyward for assignment to remove him from the 40-man roster.
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If he clears waivers, Heyward can either go to Triple-A or elect free agency.
At 35 years old, Heyward may choose to try his hand at free agency for one final MLB opportunity when he gets healthy.
It's just crazy to think about all the places Heyward has been and all the levels he has played at.
Hopefully he has one more special surge before he retires, because otherwise, it's a sad final chapter.
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