The former Braves fan favorite may return home in a made-for-TV reunion story

As Bon Jovi once sang, who says you can’t go home? Well, that would be Henry County native Jason Heyward. Drafted out of high school by the Atlanta Braves in 2007, Heyward spent his first eight professional seasons in the Braves organization. He debuted with the big league club in 2010, making his only All-Star Game appearance as a rookie before being traded to the St. Louis in 2015.

After one year with the Cardinals, Heyward spent the next few seasons with the Chicago Cubs from 2016 to 2022 before landing with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year. Now entering the home stretch, the 2016 World Series is in limbo. Heyward was designated for assignment by the Dodgers on Thursday afternoon. It was a tough decision for the Dodgers to make, but they had to make it.

This was due to Chris Taylor coming off the injured list and a corresponding roster move had to be made. In the end, the Dodgers opted to go with Kevin Kiermaier for their final outfield spot. All signs point to Heyward being released from his contract and entering the final week of August as a free agent. Could it be his first team that brings him back to the big leagues? There is a chance.

My colleague at FanSided.com, Robert Murray, broke the story of the Dodgers DFA’ing Heyward.

Sources: Dodgers designated Jason Heyward for assignment.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) August 22, 2024

ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez explained what happened with the Dodgers deciding to DFA Heyward on Thursday.

Source: Dodgers DFA veteran Jason Heyward.

They faced a difficult roster decision with Chris Taylor expected to be activated out of IL on Friday. Finally, they selected Kevin Kiermaier over Heyward as the LH bat off the bench.

First: @ByRobertMurray.

— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) August 22, 2024

Atlanta has already added former MLB cutoffs like Ramon Laureano, Whit Merrifield and now Gio Urshela to its roster. The Braves could use Heyward’s great defense and clutch genes as well.

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Look. I’m not saying the Braves should do that, but they very well could. Lost in the shuffle of what has been a painfully frustrating season at times for Atlanta has been general manager Alex Anthopoulos’ ability to change the narrative. He went from decadent underachievers to an injury-plagued team in the midst of a snake-bitten season in hell. This made the team much more enjoyable.

I think picking up a player the Dodgers no longer wanted could be huge for the Braves in their quest to make the postseason as well as give the Philadelphia Phillies their best shot. I think the fact that Anthopoulos has a previous connection in Los Angeles, as well as the fact that Heyward played for Brian Snitker during his minor league career in Atlanta could represent a big opportunity.

As far as I’m concerned, Heyward’s idea was always better than the real thing. Braves Country was in love with this guy in his early years, but his classmate Freddie Freeman was the best player. The same principle applied a few years earlier with Jeff Francoeur when Brian McCann was a hall of famer. I guess Atlanta can’t help but fall in love with a rookie…

If Atlanta wants defense and postseason experience on its side, I’d kick the tires on Heyward.