Decision made: Jason Heyward reportedly signing with Cubs

After coming so close in 2015, the Chicago Cubs will not be denied a World Series championship in 2016. The team made the biggest splash of the offseason Friday, reportedly signing top free-agent outfielder Jason Heyward.

Terms of the deal are not known at this time. Heyward was expected to be looking for a 10-year contract worth roughly $200 million, but early indications are that the Cubs may have gotten him for less. The Washington Nationals reportedly offered Heyward $200 million and if that’s true, it means Heyward took less in order to play on the North Side.

The 26-year-old Heyward rated as the fourth best free-agent available according to our own Jeff Passan. He’s coming off a season in which he hit .293/.359/.439, with 13 home runs, over 610 plate appearances with the St. Louis Cardinals.

While Heyward’s offensive numbers don’t scream $200 million, he’s regarded as probably the best defensive right fielder in the game. There’s some thought that he could play center field and still provide strong defensive value. Because of that, Heyward is highly rated among those who embrace advanced metrics.

By fWAR, Heyward ranks as the 11th best player in baseball, and the fifth best outfielder, since his debut in 2010. A large percentage of that is tied up in his defensive metrics, though he’s hardly a slouch at the plate.

Heyward was considered among many to be the top outfielder available. Now that he’s signed, the market for Yoenis Cespedes, Alex Gordon and Justin Upton may accelerate. With Heyward likely setting the market, those players will use his contract as a guide during negotiations. Clubs that missed out on Heyward will now turn their focus toward signing one of those players as a possible consolation prize.

The Cardinals, Nationals, Cubs and Los Angeles Angels were thought to be among the finalists for Heyward. While he would have been a massive upgrade for each of those clubs, Heyward’s addition to the Cubs makes them an easy World Series favorite heading into 2016.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik