UPDATE: Heyward has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Chicago Cubs. Click here for more.
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UPDATE:
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The market for Jason Heyward hasn't been entirely clear up until arguably the conclusion of the MLB Winter Meetings today. The Washington Nationals have now reportedly joined the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs in the race for the outfielder. The latest rumors indicate a deal could get done soon.
Heyward reportedly has a $200 million offer in hand, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, and it could very well be from the Nationals, who ESPN's Jim Bowden says can be "categorized as a serious threat to the Cubs and Cardinals."
"Talks between teams and Heyward's representatives at Excel Sports Management have progressed to the point that an agreement could be reached within the next several days, sources told Ken Rosenthal and me," writes FOX Sports' Jon Morosi.
For a while it was believed Heyward, 26, was looking for a 10-year contract in the $200 million range, but ESPN's Jayson Stark noted earlier today that a potential deal could be for eight or nine years at $24 million per season.
Although Washington has a full outfield right now with Jayson Werth in left, Michael Taylor in center and Bryce Harper in right, it's been speculated that the Nats could make a run at Heyward for a few reasons.
"Werth's deal comes off the books after 2017. Heyward could man center field until then and shift to a corner once that happens. Yes, I know about the presence of Michael Taylor, but the Nats could use a big splash right now. Maybe this is it," Matt Snyder of CBS Sports wrote this week.
The Nats could sign Heyward and use Taylor as a fourth outfielder since he's young and could use some more developing after hitting just .229/.282/.358 in 138 games last season (although he did have 14 home runs, 63 RBI and 16 stolen bases).
However, Bill Ladson of MLB.com says Taylor would "become expendable" if the team were to sign Heyward.
Washington entering the discussion for Heyward this late may seem as a surprise, but the club did the same when they signed Werth back in 2010 and Max Scherzer last offseason.
Rumors suggest the Nats could backload a potential contract for Heyward since the team may have a $138 million Opening Day payroll with their current 40-man roster. The team's ownership - the Lerner family - was hesitant about adding payroll before the trade deadline, so it was assumed they wouldn't be big players in free agency this offseason, especially with all of the high-priced names on the market.
However, the Nationals need to keep pace with the New York Mets in the NL East and take advantage of their other weak opponents in the Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies. Heyward would provide another offensive and defensive threat the Nationals could use in a number of ways. Heyward is one of the best outfielders in the MLB and such talent is hard to come across often in free agency, so it's perhaps better to capitalize on that now rather than waiting a year or two.
Stay tuned for updates as the Nationals, Cubs and Cardinals continue to fight for Heyward.