Jason Heyward announced his retirement after 16 major league seasons during an appearance on MLB Network.
The five-time Gold Glove winner and 2016 World Series champion with the Chicago Cubs finished his career with a .255/.306/.408 batting line with 186 home runs and 126 stolen bases. Heyward posted a resurgent 2023 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, slashing .269/.340/.473 with 15 homers in 377 plate appearances.
A Georgia native, Heyward was selected by the Atlanta Braves with the 14th overall draft pick in 2007. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015 before signing an eight-year, $184 million contract with the Cubs that remains the largest in franchise history. The Cubs released Heyward in 2022 during the seventh year of that deal.
After struggling with the Dodgers in 2024 and finishing that season with the Houston Astros, Heyward signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Padres for the 2025 season. The Padres released him after 95 plate appearances.