Ex-Cardinals Five-Time Gold Glover Made Available; Should St. Louis Re-Sign?

St. Louis could use another productive bat

Apr 16, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals scoreboard as a plane passes by during the seventh inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

As the St. Louis Cardinals take on the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday afternoon, other news broke out around the league that might interest fans.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has successfully reeled in former St. Louis players who thrive upon returning to play for the 11-time World Series champions.

With the season narrowing to a close and the Cardinals still five games behind from an NL Wild Card spot, Mozeliak has the opportunity to do it again and reunite with a former St. Louis outfielder who could make an impact.

"Sources: The (Los Angeles) Dodgers have designated Jason Heyward for assignment," Fansided's Robert Murray reported shortly after the Cardinals began the final game of their three-game series against the Brewers Thursday afternoon.

Heyward batted .293 with 50 extra-base hits including 13 home runs, 60 RBIs and a .798 OPS during the 2015 season for the Cardinals.

The 35-year-old is playing in his No. 15 season after bouncing around with multiple organizations throughout his illustrious career, such as the Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Dodgers, and Cardinals.

However, this season hasn't been so kind to Heyward's career stats after logging a .208/.289/.393 slash line with only six home runs and 28 RBIs in 63 games played for the Dodgers.

Going after Heyward makes sense for the Cardinals if they think there's a chance he'll benefit from the change of scenery. That same strategy has worked for other St. Louis players -- former talent who left the organization and thrived elsewhere.

The Cardinals outfielders have been inconsistent at hitting in 2024 and perhaps adding Heyward to the mix would boost the younger players' production. However, there's no guarantee he'll perform well if reunited with St. Louis, so it wouldn't be surprising if Mozeliak passes the opportunity.

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