Cardinals Rumors: St. Louis, Jason Heyward have not talked deal

According to a report, the St. Louis Cardinals are yet to talk extension details with outfielder Jason Heyward, who hits free agency at season’s end.

The latest out of St. Louis per Derrick Goold, the free agent-to-be Heyward isn’t feeling the pressure to get a deal done from the Cardinals’ front office, something that could bode well should the team attempt to bring him back this winter.

"“At this point, I think both sides are OK with that, OK with where things are right now,” Heyward said. “Both sides want to make sure everybody is happy. That’s really what they’ve been asking me about the whole time. ‘Hey, you like it here? Hey, you comfortable?’ They want to make sure I feel at home, make sure I can be myself, and that’s been their focus. They’ve allowed me the time to fit in. That has meant a lot.”"

Heyward, 26, is batting .286/.342/.430 for St. Louis this season, which, while solid in and of itself, is even more impressive considering he batted just .217/.261/.249 in March and April. It was at that point most Cardinals fans were ready to label the trade that brought him to St. Louis a complete and utter failure.

Since then, he’s emerged as perhaps the most well-rounded piece of the Cardinals’ roster, rivaled only perhaps by backstop Yadier Molina and fellow outfielder Randal Grichuk, both of whom excel at both sides of their game.

With the Cardinals atop the National League Central, headed for yet-another postseason appearance, Heyward told the Post-Dispatch that he’s appreciative that he’s not in Atlanta, where pressure would have been mounting to get a deal done.

"“I tell these guys (teammates) that it’s awesome not to really have to worry about it,” Heyward said. “They’re not focusing on one person. The goal ahead is not that. That’s refreshing. I feel like they have a very structured organization, and from what I can tell they handle things when they should be handled, and now baseball is what’s supposed to be handled.”"

Personally, I expect the Cardinals to let Heyward walk; they’re not a team that will overspend anymore – we saw that in the Albert Pujols sweepstakes a few years’ back.

I touched on this very issue yesterday, pointing out that the return of Matt Holliday, Matt Adams and Adam Wainwright could cause logjams for the Cardinals moving forward; it was for this very reason I expect Heyward to be in a different uniform come 2016.

Grichuk and Piscotty, in all likelihood, will handle duties in two of the spots on Opening Day next spring, with Holliday reassuming his mantle in left. That leaves no room for a player who could very well be the most sought-after (and thus, expensive) position player on the market this winter.

For now, it’s maintain the status quo for the St. Louis Cardinals and their standout right fielder.

Keep playing the game the right way, focusing on each day, one game at a time – all with an eye on bringing another World Series title to the city of St. Louis.

Next: A look at the top arms in the Cardinals' system