{"id":96310,"date":"2025-02-24T23:56:01","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T04:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=96310"},"modified":"2025-02-24T23:56:15","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T04:56:15","slug":"andrew-heaney-pirates-rotation-fallout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/02\/24\/andrew-heaney-pirates-rotation-fallout\/","title":{"rendered":"The Andrew Heaney Signing and Its Fallout on Pirates Rotation"},"content":{"rendered":"

The signing<\/a> of pitcher Andrew Heaney for the Pittsburgh Pirates rotation will have a domino effect on several starting candidates. The addition of Heaney came as a bit of a shock, as Pirates general manager Ben Cherington had said he was \u201cnot on the doorstep\u201d of any major moves and this one didn\u2019t seem to address the team\u2019s three most pressing needs, which are hitting, hitting, and more hitting. If this move didn\u2019t come from the doorstep, it certainly came out of left field.<\/p>\n

How Andrew Heaney Affects the Pirates Rotation<\/h2>\n

Heaney, a 33-year-old left-hander, previously pitched for the Miami Marlins (2014), Los Angeles Angels (2015-21), New York Yankees (2021), Los Angeles Dodgers (2022), and Texas Rangers (2023-24). Like last year\u2019s Pirates additions Aroldis Chapman and Mart\u00edn P\u00e9rez, Heaney earned a World Series ring<\/a> with Texas in 2023. Lifetime, he\u2019s 51-62 with a 4.45 ERA and 1.265 WHIP. Last year, his record was an uninspiring 5-14 while posting a 4.28 ERA and 1.250 WHIP.<\/p>\n

Cherington stated that, as in the case of recent addition<\/a> Tommy Pham, he had long coveted Heaney for the Pirates. It was only now that the parties could find a fit. It raises the question of why it took so long to bring either player into the fold and why these love affairs merely resulted in one-year contracts.<\/p>\n

With the above said, some statistical indicators tend to show what may have attracted the Pirates to Heaney. Featuring a four-seam fastball half the time, he\u2019s had six seasons with double-digit strikeouts per nine innings. More intriguing is his flyball percentage. In the last four seasons, his lowest flyball percentage was 30.6 percent last year, well above the major league average. Pitching to right-handed-dominated lineups in PNC Park with its deep, forgiving left and center fields should help turn more of those flyballs into outs. Since 2015, he\u2019s pitched for four teams whose home parks ranked in the top seven easiest within which to hit home runs in 2024, according to Statcast. PNC Park is 27th on that list.<\/p>\n

Other Starting Pitching Candidates<\/h3>\n

The rotation is headed by Paul Skenes, last year\u2019s National League Rookie of the Year<\/a>, and the Pirates’ $70-million man<\/a>, Mitch Keller. Last year\u2019s other rookie sensation, Jared Jones, and left-hander Bailey Falter seem assured spots. Johan Oviedo, who sat out 2024 with an injury after making 32 starts in 2023, is eyeing a midseason return. Prospects Bubba Chandler, Tom Harrington, Braxton Ashcraft, and perhaps Anthony Solometo are projected for 2025 arrivals in the majors.<\/p>\n

Two relief pitchers, Carmen Mlodzinski and free agent addition<\/a> Caleb Ferguson, are being stretched out in spring training. Mlodzinski expressed a desire to become a starter during last year\u2019s exit interview with the brass. The rationale for turning either into starters escapes one. Mlodzinski was an effective reliever in 2023, when he had a 2.25 ERA and emerged as a seventh-inning specialist. In Ferguson\u2019s case, it may have been something Cherington had to promise to snag the left-hander. Mlodzinski and Ferguson each pitched two innings in his first spring training appearance.<\/p>\n

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Carmen Mlodzinski said he is building volume to be a starter this spring. Said there were conversations about him transitioning into a starter role at the end of last season. Said he\u2019s still open to being used in any role, but his goal is to be a starting pitcher.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles) February 22, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n