Atlanta Braves fans of a certain age remember Jason Heyward's ascent to the big leagues very well. Heyward was not only the Braves' best prospect, but he was arguably the best prospect in baseball when he was coming up. Heyward's debut on Opening Day 2010, where he hit a mammoth three-run home run, is the stuff of legends. Unfortunately, Heyward left the Braves, and now we have to watch him help one of their biggest rivals.
After the Braves traded Heyward to the Cardinals before the 2015 season, he would go on to play seven seasons with the Cubs before leaving to bounce around to the Dodgers, Astros, and Padres before retiring after the 2025 season. It was a 16-year career worth celebrating, and most Braves fans thought that would be the end of the story.
Unfortunately, that is not the case. Not only is Heyward back in baseball, but he is helping the enemy, as it was revealed that Heyward has taken a special assistant job with the Dodgers of all teams.
Jason Heyward is a special assistant with the Dodgers now, and that feels bad
Look, baseball IS a business, and the Braves simply felt that Heyward was not worth to them what he was going to command on the open market. The Braves chose to extend Freddie Freeman instead, and Heyward got paid and enjoyed a long and healthy career.
However, it has always felt weird to see him in another uniform. Heyward was from the Atlanta area, and most thought he would be one of the “faces of the Braves” alongside Freeman for a long time. Sadly, neither player stayed with the Braves, and, oddly enough, both have ended up in LA. One can't fault Heyward for taking the opportunity that was presented to him, but seeing him help the Dodgers improve is a gut punch for many fans.
In this case, it is not a coincidence that Heyward and Freeman ended up back together. According to a report from The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya, Freeman was actually instrumental in vouching for Heyward to the Dodgers' brass to land the job. Heyward was looking around baseball for a chance to contribute, and LA pounced with Freeman's endorsement.
It is somewhat fitting that Heyward gets to continue to be alongside Freeman in some respects. Those two guys go way back to their minor league days and have remained close over the years. Unfortunately, that reality is bittersweet given what could have (and perhaps should have) been.
Add us as a preferred source on Google