Dodgers Re-Sign Jason Heyward: What to Make of Move

The Dodgers have been heavily rumored to be after Shohei Ohtani, but Los Angeles has holes to fill for 2024, as well. Los Angeles has begun their roster formation for 2024, as the Dodgers have reportedly re-signed Jason Heyward on a one-year deal. Here’s a look at what Heyward brought to LA last season.

A Look at Heyward

In a new role with the Dodgers, Jason Heyward flourished in 2023. Re-united with his former Braves teammate Freddie Freeman, Heyward hit .269/.340/.473 with 15 home runs and 38 extra-base hits over 124 games. Heyward’s .340 OBP and .813 OPS were his highest numbers since the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.

Heyward was used almost exclusively as a platoon bat, as the left-handed hitting outfielder saw just 28 PA against lefties. In those appearances, Heyward hit just .192/.250/.500 with two home runs and four extra-base hits.

The 34-year-old outfielder reportedly made adjustments last winter and the video shows exactly just that. In 2023, Heyward looked to have his lower half a little closer together and kept the bat more vertical, rather than having it lean near his shoulders.

And in the 2023 video, one can see that Heyward still has the bat speed to be an effective hitter.

From 2022.
From 2023.

Heyward’s bat provided plenty of value to the Dodgers, but so did the glove. The 34-year-old posted +6 Outs Above Average in right field last season.

The Dodgers outfielder’s ability to man right field effectively gave Los Angeles the opportunity to unlock NL MVP finalist Mookie Betts‘ versatility in the field. Betts saw time at both second and short in 2023 to make up for Miguel Vargas‘ struggles in the Majors and the loss of Gavin Lux.

The reported deal is a one-year contract for $9MM.

Analysis

Jason Heyward has been generally good at working counts and drawing walks throughout his career. Not to mention, the 34-year-old’s a terrific outfielder defensively. Thus, it wasn’t hard to see why Los Angeles took a flier on him last season.

It worked very well for the Dodgers in 2023 and heading into the winter, Los Angeles had the need for outfield depth. Prior to the reported move, the Dodgers had just four outfielders — Mookie Betts, Jonny Deluca, James Outman, and Andy Pages — on the 40-man roster, while Chris Taylor can play the outfield in a pinch.

The reported price tag of $9MM is high for a platoon player. However, Heyward did get 124 games of playing time last season thanks to the fact that the vast majority of MLB pitchers are right-handed.

Even if Heyward only gets 100-110 games, the Dodgers have the financial resources to handle the cost in the hopes that the 34-year-old can provide similar production.