Padres Officially Release Former All-Star After Disappointing Season

Apr 12, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres left fielder Jason Heyward (22) celebrates with San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) after hitting a one-run home run during the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres have released veteran outfielder Jason Heyward after he was designated for assignment over the weekend.

The five-time Gold Glove award winner hit just .176 this season in 34 appearances.

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We have released OF Jason Heyward.

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 24, 2025

Heyward started the season out as the starting right fielder for the Friars, but couldn't quite get his bat going as the year went on.

The lack of depth in the outfield is one of the biggest weaknesses for San Diego this season, and parting ways with the former All-Star certainly appears to mean that president of baseball operations A.J. Preller will look to find a suitable replacement ahead of the trade deadline.

Lately, Gavin Sheets has been taking his share of starts in left field, but despite his production on offense, his shift to the outfield hasn't exactly been seamless. Sheets only has 26 career starts in left, and after a collision with the wall earlier this month, he still has a ways to go defensively.

Sheets also posted a negative Outs Above Replacement last season, splitting time between right field and first base when he wasn't at DH, grading in just the fourth percentile of MLB at negative-8.

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As for Heyward, he will search for where he will spend the next chapter of his baseball career as the Padres do their best to figure out the outfield situation.

Heyward is in the midst of his 16th season in MLB and will turn 36 years old in August. His leadership and experience are unmatched as he was a key member of the historic Chicago Cubs championship team of 2016 that broke a 108-year drought, and even made 63 appearances with the Los Angeles Dodgers on their road to October last season.

Heyward is a career .255 hitter with an overall OPS+ of 101, ranking him one percent better than the average MLB player during that span. His 16 seasons, however, are well above average and that kind of longevity is something that many who take to the diamond can only dream of doing.

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For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.