Padres sign aging outfielder to one-year deal as roster nears completion

The San Diego Padres have reportedly signed 35-year-old outfielder Jason Heyward to a one-year deal, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic. Just hours after agreeing to a deal with outfielder/first baseman Connor Joe, the Heyward signing looks to add depth to both the left field and designated hitter spots for the Padres in 2025.

There is no question that Heyward is not the player he once was, but there is still some upside to having him on the roster. 2024 was a down year for Heyward, who had a 211/.288/.412 line over 87 games with the Dodgers and Astros. Now, 14 years removed from his rookie year where he received his only All-Star nod and came in second in Rookie of the Year voting, Heyward may not be looking for a career resurgence in San Diego, but a chance to show he still has something left in the tank.

Most likely going to be platooned with Joe in the outfield, Heyward's defense may not be at the level that won him five Gold Gloves, but he will still be a better option than who the Padres currently have. With only Tirso Ornelas, Brandon Lockridge, and Tyler Wade on the roster who have spent time in left, Heyward's experience in the outfield alone is enough to make him a better choice.

At the plate, San Diego will look for Heyward to return to the numbers he saw in 2023, where he put up his highest OPS since 2012 at .813 (besides the shortened 2020 season). In his first year with the Dodgers, Heyward seemed to be on a bounce back, and showed decent power numbers hitting 15 home runs in 124 games.

Both the Joe and Heyward signings are unconfirmed by the team, but fans should not be too concerned about the financial toll both signings should bring. Heyward's 2024 contract with the Dodgers after his strong 2023 was an absolute overpay, a one-year $9 million deal for a player that only appeared in 63 games for the team. His free agent deal with the Astros was much more reasonable, a one-year deal that only cost $720,000. The Padres will most likely be paying a deal similar to the Elias Diaz deal. Look for something around the $2-4 million range for one-year.

Injury concerns were part of Heyward's 2024, where he missed a number of games with a lower back injury followed by a bone bruise in his left knee. Able to finish out the season with Houston and even make a playoff start, Heyward seems to be back to full strength, but the Padres may still have some concerns signing a player heading into his 16th year in the majors.