The Cubs officially granted right fielder Jason Heyward his unconditional release Monday afternoon.

The move ends Heyward’s tenure as a Cub with one year left on his 8-year deal he signed ahead of the 2016 season. Heyward finished his Cubs career hitting .245/.323/.377 with 62 HR in 744 games. He was the Cubs’ starting right fielder when the team won the World Series in 2016.

Heyward’s release was expected. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer mentioned in August that the team and Heyward would be going in separate directions after the 2022 season. 

Thank you for every moment, J-Hey. 🤟 https://t.co/npdeapmLE8 pic.twitter.com/i3uwAJmUlF

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) November 14, 2022

Heyward was a key leader for the Cubs during his tenure and he brought a veteran presence to a young core of offensive players during the 2016 playoff run.

Off the field, Heyward was a philanthropist, being nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award in 2020, 2021 and 2022. He and his wife, Vedrana, partnered with International Sports in 2021 to break ground on a youth sports facility in the North Austin neighborhood that will be known as the Jason Heyward Baseball Academy.

Heyward has stated his intentions to continue to play in 2023.

With the move, the Cubs’ 40-man roster sits at 33.