The Pittsburgh Pirates will sign left-hander Andrew Heaney, as first reported by Robert Murray of FanSided. According to Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the major league deal is for one year and $5.25 million, plus incentives. Heaney is a talented starter who spent the past two seasons in the middle of the Texas Rangers rotation.
For all his talent, Heaney has displayed some inconsistencies throughout his career. That said, the 33-year-old southpaw should serve as a solid addition that deepens Pittsburgh’s pitching depth and raises its potential.
Source: LHP Andrew Heaney and the Pirates are in agreement on a 1-year, $5.25M deal with incentives@ByRobertMurray was first to report the signing
— Andrew Destin (@AndrewDestin1) February 21, 2025
Report: Pirates Sign Andrew Heaney
Heaney, a former Miami Marlins first-round pick, struggled mightily from 2019-2021. Split between the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees, Heaney recorded a 5.21 ERA (87 ERA+) in 291 2/3 innings across 60 games (53 starts).
Though the former top prospect once looked finished, Heaney revitalized his career after signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 2022 campaign. He missed time with an injury (a common occurrence at that point in his career), but Heaney posted an excellent 3.10 ERA (130 ERA+) in 72 2/3 innings with an elite 35.5% strikeout rate.
He parlayed that success into a two-year contract with the Rangers. Though he never reached a similar peak, Heaney served as a reliable arm for the 2023 World Series-winning Texas squad. That year, the Oklahoma native appeared in 34 games (28 starts) and posted a 4.15 ERA (103 ERA+) in 147 1/3 innings.
Strikeout #1,000 of the career of Andrew Heaney ?
He is the 49th active pitcher to reach the milestone
pic.twitter.com/C5ACBt1VW0— Rangers Nation ⚾️ (@rangers__nation) July 6, 2024
He pitched 11 more postseason innings, allowing five runs (4.09 ERA) on 11 hits, four walks, and four strikeouts.
Unfortunately, he did not repeat this success in 2024. In 32 games (31 starts), the 33-year-old posted a 4.28 ERA (92 ERA+) in 160 innings with an uncharacteristically below-league-average walk rate (5.9%). However, his struggles stemmed partly from an average strikeout rate and poor groundball and contact quality rates.
Though he struggled last season, it’s important that Heaney stayed healthy. His tenure with Texas represents the only time in his career in which he pitched 100 or more innings in two straight seasons.
The Pirates will likely sign Heaney with the thought that his struggles stemmed from fatigue more than anything else. If so, Heaney could represent a solid pickup in an offseason that saw crazy prices on the pitching market.
Photo Credit: © Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
