The Los Angeles Dodgers operating with an expansive front office under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has resulted in several former players taking on roles within the organization, and Jason Heyward became the latest to do so.
According to multiple reports, Heyward, who remains close friends wiht Freddie Freeman, was hired by the Dodgers as a special assistant.
Heyward joins the likes of Clayton Kershaw and Chris Archer as former players to now have roles in the Dodgers front office.
The two-time World Series champion was at Dodger Stadium for the first time in his new role and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he hoped to see Heyward around the team “a good bit” moving forward.
“I’m excited for Jason to be back in the organization. I do know he’s going to do some stuff with the (Minor League) affiliates, which is great,” Roberts added. “He’s got the clubhouse part of it covered, so part of it is working with the front office guys and getting to see the other side of things and how it operates.
“He’s going to be very helpful. For his growth and the organization, it’s good to have him.”
Heyward officially retired this past March after playing in 16 seasons at the Major League level. Included in that was playing for the Dodgers in 2023 and a portion of 2024. A roster crunch led to getting released by the Dodgers, and Heyward proceeded to finish the 2024 season with the Houston Astros.
Heyward’s MLB career then came to a close after playing in 34 games for the San Diego Padres in 2025.
Heyward hit .249/.322/.446 with 33 doubles, 21 home runs and 68 RBI in 187 games during his time with the Dodgers, and received a World Series ring after the 2024 season.
Dave Roberts wanted Jason Heyward back with Dodgers
Roberts was effusive when Heyward announced his retirement earlier this year and expressed a hope he’d remain connected to the sport.
“Great teammate, very, very good team leader. He was old school in the sense of always doing nice things for young players,” Roberts said at the end of March. “Buying dinners, buying stuff for them, showing them how to be a big leaguer. Worked his tail off everyday, was bought into whatever we asked of him.
“He’s had a great career. I’m happy we got to be teammates for a minute. That was great. I hope he stays in the game in some capcity, whether it be the front office side or the coaching side. I talked to him in spring, and he was kicking that around. The game needs guys like Jason.”
Further indication of how impactful Heyward was during his time with the Dodgers, he was voted the winner of the 2023 Roy Campanella Award by the team’s uniformed personnel.
It’s presented annually to the player who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the Hall of Fame catcher.
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