Former Yankees Slugger Chase Headley DFA’d By Team That Drafted Him

Last season, Chase Headley hit .273 for the New York Yankees in 147 games, then hit .389 in the ALCS. However, instead of being rewarded for his performance, the Bronx Bombers dumped him to the San Diego Padres to get his contract off the books. The Padres welcomed him back with open arms. After all, they were the team that drafted, groomed, and played Headley for the first 10 years of his career.

As any athlete knows, though, that being traded from a contender to a bottom-feeder is a crummy twist of fate. So instead of repeating what he’d done in his long career, Headley hit .115 (6-for-52) for San Diego through the first six weeks of the 2018 season. On Saturday, he was designated for assignment by the Padres, cutting his reunion very short.

In 1,409 games from 2007-2017, Headley hit .264 with 130 home runs and a .746 OPS. This year, his OPS was a lowly .368, complete with just nine starts in the field.

Chase Headley shouldn’t worry, though. He will get picked up just like Matt Harvey did after the Mets cut ties with him. Headley has to be able to hit still, and there’s a bunch of contenders out there that can use a solid stick who can play several positions.

Headley was the second-highest paid player on the Padres roster at $13 million.