Pirates Add Heaney for 2025

S. Samek

The Pittsburgh Pirates have made another free agent sighing ahead of the start of the 2025 season.

Left-Handed pitcher Andrew Heaney was added on a one-year deal. Heaney arrives from the Texas Rangers.

In 2024 Heaney went 5-14 with a 4.28 ERA over 32 games, starting 31 of them. He also pitched for Texas during their 2023 World Series winning season where he made 28 starts and 34 appearances.

Is it a major signing not really. Is it sort of a par for the course type of signing yes. It feels like buying a bit lower after a down season and hope that a change of scenery helps. Heaney could be a capable starter and give you quality innings behind your top three of Paul Skeans, Jared Jones and Mitch Keller. Yet he will have to compete for a spot in the rotation with Johan Oviedo, Caleb Ferguson and Bailey Falter. Could this impact if we see Bubba Chandler have a spot to make the team out of spring training?

The move does add to the pitching depth, which looks to be a team strength heading into 2025. However, it just isn’t the big name that would move this team closer to the playoffs.

It’s an interesting thing to keep an eye on in spring training though. Will Heaney be in the rotation or not? Could they look to use a six-man rotation to include Heaney? I’m intrigued to see the Pirates plans moving forward.