Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward came up together with the Atlanta Braves in the early 2010's. While Freeman has had considerably more success than Heyward, they've remained friends and even linked up again with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023.
Freeman used his connections within the Dodgers front office to get Freeman on the team in the first place two winters ago. When Heyward signed, Freeman offered the most genuine reaction one could hope for.
“I got my friend back and I’ve just been telling him how wonderful the Dodgers have been for me. He’s really excited. He’s already worked out at Dodger Stadium, he’s been at my house this week, he’s going up to L.A. and Pasadena to work with Robert Van Scoyoc and Aaron Bates, running with Travis Smith, our strength guy,” Freeman said. “He’s going to be in L.A. the next two weeks, spending time with them, and he’s really excited to be a Dodger.”
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Heyward played up to par in 2023, with an .813 OPS in 124 games. It was his best season in years, but unfortunately he couldn't follow that up in 2024. Rather, Heyward struggled mightily at the plate, hitting just over the Mendoza line with an OPS of .682. The Dodgers made the right business decision in letting Heyward walk, but Freeman revealed that his friend and teammate has gone dark, minus a few texts here and there.
Asked how Jason Heyward is doing, Freddie Freeman said, "I don't think he's talking to anybody. I mean, would you guys be wanting to talk if you got fired from your job? I've had three text messages [from him], and that’s three more than a lot of other people [have received]."
— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 24, 2024
Heyward, hopefully, is just going through a tough time. He could feasibly be a nice pickup for a contender in need of outfield depth. FanSided's John Buhler pitched the Atlanta Braves, especially since their current starting outfield of Jarred Kelenic-Michael Harris II-Jorge Soler could use some tweaking.
"I think the fact that Anthopoulos has a previous Los Angeles connection, as well as Heyward having played for Brian Snitker during his minor league career in Atlanta could present a great opportunity...If Atlanta wants defense and postseason experience on its side, I would kick the tires on Heyward," Buhler wrote.
Heyward still offers a plus defender with an experience, who has been through the trials of a tough postseason run. On a team like the Braves -- or one in need of defensive help in the outfield -- he'd be a tremendous fit, even at 35 years old.
