{"id":105683,"date":"2025-08-08T21:49:26","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T01:49:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=105683"},"modified":"2025-08-08T21:49:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T01:49:26","slug":"pirates-face-decision-veteran-andrew-heaney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/08\/08\/pirates-face-decision-veteran-andrew-heaney\/","title":{"rendered":"Pirates Face Decision on Veteran Starter"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the Pittsburgh Pirates once again spend August focusing on the future, it\u2019s certain that future won\u2019t include starter Andrew Heaney<\/a>. The 34-year-old left-hander signed<\/a> a one-year contract to play for Pittsburgh last February. After Wednesday\u2019s start against the San Francisco Giants, he\u2019s 5-9 with a 4.77 ERA, 5.33 FIP, and 1.270 WHIP. He\u2019s struck out 16.4 percent of batters faced. That\u2019s his lowest total since his rookie year in 2014.<\/p>\n

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Aug 6, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Andrew Heaney (45) pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pirates Face Decision on Andrew Heaney<\/h2>\n

It seemed certain that Heaney would be dealt by the recent trade deadline. However, except for rumored interest<\/a> from the New York Yankees, the rumor mill was devoid of any buzz about him. In the end, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington failed to trade Heaney and two others on expiring contracts, infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa<\/a> and outfielder Tommy Pham<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cherington passed it off as part of a grand plan to keep the trio around to continue to lead the younger players. He may be just saving face. We\u2019ll give him the benefit of the doubt on Kiner-Falefa, who didn\u2019t want to be traded and is interested in signing an extension<\/a>. Nevertheless, keeping Heaney and Pham made little sense. Perhaps Cherington tried and failed to trade them. In any event, to their credit, the three addressed the team and conveyed that they\u2019re invested and there to help. It was a classy move. This writer was particularly surprised by Pham, who last season asked the St. Louis Cardinals to release him in August so he could latch on<\/a> with a contender.<\/p>\n

The Question on Heaney<\/h3>\n

The younger Pirates are glad to have the three veterans available to answer questions. (What questions they have that can\u2019t be answered by Andrew McCutchen<\/a> or Mitch Keller<\/a> is another story.) The question on Heaney, however, is how long the Pirates can keep him when he’s not giving them a chance to win, particularly with a wealth of pitching prospects awaiting a promotion in the minors?<\/p>\n

At the start of the season, Heaney made Cherington look like a genius for bringing him on<\/a>. On May 21, he was 3-3 with a 2.91 ERA and a 1.132 WHIP, although his 4.06 FIP indicated that a regression to the mean was forthcoming. Heaney delivered a few more quality starts before his season started to unravel. Since June 19, he\u2019s 2-4 with a 7.85 ERA, 7.17 FIP, and 1.609 WHIP. In his last nine starts, he\u2019s managed to pitch just 36 2\/3 innings, giving up an astonishing 11 home runs. He made it as far as the seventh inning only once in that stretch. The Pirates are 2-7 in those games.<\/p>\n

What To Do<\/h3>\n

The Pirates could move on from Heaney and designate him for assignment. They did that very thing<\/a> with two other pending free agents last season. Alternatively, if his presence is truly as valuable as purported, Heaney could be moved to the bullpen, where Ryan Borucki<\/a> is presently the lone left-hander. That wouldn\u2019t be new to Heaney, who\u2019s made 19 relief appearances in his career. Since the three-batter minimum rule came into effect, left-handers who can get right-handed batters out are an invaluable asset. Like most left-handed starters, Heaney is better against right-handed hitters. He\u2019s held them to a .239 average this season.<\/p>\n

Removing Heaney from the rotation would leave two vacancies there, with the Pirates having optioned out<\/a> Johan Oviedo<\/a> on Tuesday. Then again, in the immortal words of Miles Davis<\/a>, so what? The Pirates have an abundance of hot prospect pitchers who fans are anxious to see.<\/p>\n

Prospects Galore<\/h3>\n

Leading the way is their No. 2 prospect<\/a>, Bubba Chandler<\/a>, 22, a right-hander whose fastball has touched 99 mph. Going into his scheduled Friday night start against Omaha, at Triple-A Indianapolis, Chandler is 5-4 with a 3.69 ERA and 1.392 WHIP. He\u2019s struck out 28.0 percent of batters faced. He\u2019s also walked 11.4 percent. That latter figure is unacceptably high, and his last four starts have been rough. In those games, he\u2019s given up 15 earned runs in 19 1\/3 innings. Still, the Pirates are going nowhere in 2025. It can\u2019t hurt to give their top prospect pitcher a taste of the majors if they hope to rely on him in 2026.<\/p>\n

\n

Bubba Chandler isn\u2019t holding back.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve been ready.\u201d
\n100+ innings a year and still waiting for the call. Should he be in on the Pirates roster now?<\/p>\n

(Via @_NoahHiles<\/a>)
\n\ud83d\udd17https:\/\/t.co\/5sRFF5q4QC<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Y1snWxd0nW<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 \ud835\udc0d\ud835\udc12\ud835\udfd7 (@NorthShoreNine) August 8, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n