Shortly after signing right-handed batter Connor Joe to a one-year deal, the San Diego Padres have reportedly also signed veteran left-handed outfielder Jason Heyward according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic.

Heyward, 35, is expected to split time in left field with Joe and while terms are unreported it can be expected that Heyward’s is a major league deal considering the team has multiple 40-man roster vacancies to accommodate the signing. Drafted 14th overall by the Atlanta Braves in 2007, Heyward finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2010, Heyward established himself as one of the game’s premier outfield defenders, winning five Gold Gloves from 2012 to 2017. In 2016 he helped the Chicago Cubs win the World Series, spending six total seasons in Chicago, seeing his offensive numbers fluctuate inconsistently as they had over his career.

He was released by the Cubs before the 2023 season and signed on with the Los Angeles Dodgers in what became a resurgent year for the veteran. Serving in more of a platoon outfielder role, Heyward slashed .269/.340/.473 with 15 homers across 377 plate appearances. That production led the Dodgers to re-sign Heyward for $9 million in 2024 but injuries and inconsistency plagued his last season. A lower back injury cost him six weeks early in the season before suffering a bone bruise in his knee after returning that cost him three more weeks in July. He struggled in his return from that injury and the Dodgers had no choice but to cut him in August after he slashed .208/.289/.393 with six home runs on the year. Heyward then caught on with the Houston Astros to finish the season posting a .218/.283/.473 slash across 61 plate appearances over the final 24 games of the year and did hit a home run in Game 2 of the Astros’ Wild Card loss to the Detroit Tigers.

Now, Heyward will look to find that platoon magic with Joe in left field. He has rarely taken at-bats against left-handers the last two seasons, hitting just .188 with a .220 on-base percentage in 50 plate appearances. In 2024 he batted .214/.298/.422 against righties and in 2023 batted .276/.347/.471 with 13 home runs. Historically speaking Heyward owns a career line of .256/.337/.410 against right-handed pitching which should complement Joe’s  .251/.353/.418 line against lefties over the past two seasons.

Though he will only occasionally play center field if absolutely necessary, Heyward has still proven to a be solid defender in the outfield. Last season he registered 5 Defensive Runs Saved and was graded with 2 Outs Above Average. His range certainly isn’t what it used to be but he still has the elements of that Gold Glove heritage that can more than make up for the potential offensive shortcomings.

As mentioned previously, Tirso Ornelas had been projected as the top option at the moment despite having no major league experience. However, with the additions of Joe and Heyward, the Padres look to the platoon partners to handle the bulk of playing time in the left, allowing Ornelas a buffer to continue development. Due to the departure of Jurickson Profar, the Padres are in essence trying to replicate Profar’s switch-hitting production with two players albeit with a weaker offensive output.

It’s still unclear how Heyward’s contract will impact the Padres’ overall payroll as the team is cutting it close on the Competitive Balance Tax and is assumed to be trying to get under the threshold for 2025. The turmoil has been palpable behind the scenes and A.J. Preller has done his best to try and construct the team in a way that’s competitive and affordable, but the free-spending days of the last several years have seemed to catch up to the Friars, limiting them to cheap deals in free agency this offseason. While Heyward isn’t a bad acquisition, for the context and purpose of his signing it may not bode well for the Padres’ overall standing as an organization.