Say what you want about the bat and the contract, but Jason Heyward continues to be worth his glove’s weight in gold in right field after winning his fifth career Gold Glove award Tuesday.
Heyward, one of three Gold Glove finalists for the Cubs, is the first Cubs player to win consecutive Gold Gloves since right-hander Greg Maddux won three in a row in 2004-06. He’s only the second Cubs outfielder to win the award multiple times, joining Andre Dawson in 1987-88.
The award is the fourth in a row for Heyward, who won with the Cardinals in 2015 and with the Braves before that.
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The award comes after he finished the second year of an eight-year, $184 million deal with the Cubs that has been disappointing offensively, despite an uptick this season (in 16 fewer games) from a career-worst year at the plate in 2016.
It also comes at a time his name has begun to swirl in speculation involving a would-be swap of big contracts with the Giants for right-hander Jeff Samardzija and closer Mark Melancon.
Among other Gold Glove winners, the Diamondbacks’ Paul Goldschmidt beat out the Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo at first base and ex-Cub DJ LeMahieu of the Rockies beat out the Cubs’ Ben Zobrist at second.
Follow me on Twitter @GDubCub.
Email: gwittenmyer@suntimes.com
