Despite the unbearable hole in left field, is it time for the San Diego Padres to move on from Jason Heyward? 

At 35 years old, Jason Heyward has had quite a career.

In 2010, he hit a home run on the first Major League pitch he ever saw. Since then, he’s enjoyed plenty of success—but it’s fair to wonder if his best days are behind him. 

Coming off a split 2024 season between Los Angeles and Houston, Heyward signed with the Padres in free agency as a left-handed bench bat. The plan was for him platoon with a few young players getting their first test in the big leagues. He filled a roster need, but has he provided the value the front office and fans expected? 

Heyward has appeared in roughly 34 games with the Major League club this season, not including a rehab stint in Triple-A.

In that span, he’s posted a .174 batting average, 15 hits, a .271 slugging percentage, and 20 strikeouts over 95 plate appearances. While he’s flashed signs of his former self at times, consistent performance has been elusive. 

That’s a problem for the Padres.

In the outfield, regular starters in center and right field—Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr.— locked down their spots, and platooning only becomes necessary when one of them is unavailable. Merrill, for example, is currently sidelined with a concussion. Coming into the year, the club hoped to rely on a revolving door in left field based on whoever had the hot hand. Unfortunately, that approach hasn’t worked. The production from left field has been underwhelming, and the options available haven’t met the moment. 

So, does Heyward still have a place on this roster heading into the second half of a frustrating season? Will 2025 mark another journeyman chapter in his effort to extend his career? 

Looking at a battered Padres’ lineup, a shake-up feels inevitable. Veterans like Heyward, Martín Maldonado, and Elias Díaz have all struggled. With the trade deadline approaching, their futures in San Diego may soon be decided, perhaps sooner than they would have liked. 

Veteran Padres fans have seen this story before. The club’s effort to replicate last year’s magic, most notably with Jurickson Profar’s surprise breakout, has fallen short. When Profar signed with Atlanta this offseason, it left a sizable void: his .280 batting average, 3.6 WAR, and 24 home runs were never going to be easy to replace. But expecting Heyward, who played poorly for two teams last season, to fill that role? That was never realistic. 

Heyward hasn’t played close to a full season since 2019, when he appeared in 147 games.

The last time he won a Gold Glove was in 2017—his age-27 season. It’s tough to say, but his days in San Diego may be numbered. 

The Padres must now evaluate whether Heyward still brings enough value to help this team reach its goal: a championship in San Diego.

If the club sees 2025 as a legitimate shot at a deep postseason run, Heyward’s performance this year may make that decision for them. But if things go south before the deadline, and contention slips away, keeping him around as a veteran presence to help mentor the next generation wouldn’t be the worst move. 

In the A.J. Preller era, fans have come to expect at least an attempt at contending. Whether the Padres have enough prospect depth or Major League capital to make a splash in the trade market remains to be seen. But one way or another, we’ll soon know what’s up Preller’s sleeve—and what the future holds for Jason Heyward and the rest of this veteran roster. 

Scotty Keene

Scott Keene is a staff writer covering San Diego State athletics and Padres baseball for East Village Times. A San Diego native with deep roots in the local sports scene, he combines firsthand experience with analytical insight.

Follow him on X: @Scottykk88.