BRADENTON, Fla. — Andrew Heaney arrived just as the Pittsburgh Pirates were transitioning from Pirate City to LECOM Park, so his head was still spinning about joining a new team.
Where Pirates pitchers were thrilled to add a world champion to their starting rotation, the 33-year-old left-hander is ready and willing to share his 2023 World Series experience with the young staff.
“I wouldn’t say I’m eager,” Heaney said Saturday, when his signing of a one-year, $5.25 million contract became official. “I didn’t wear my World Series ring into the locker room today, right?”
Veteran LHP Andrew Heaney on what he brings to the Pirates’ starting rotation. pic.twitter.com/TcYKcBD0uz
— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 22, 2025
Heaney has a career 51-62 record with a 4.45 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 11 seasons with the Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers. He made more than 18 starts only once in his first seven seasons before finding his comfort zone the past two seasons with the Rangers.
Heaney was 15-20 with a 4.22 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 66 games, winning a career-high 10 games and posting a team-best 159 strikeouts in 2023. Last season, Heaney was 5-14 with a 4.28 ERA and 151 strikeouts in 32 games (31 starts). The only other left-handers with at least 150 strikeouts each of the past two seasons are Yusei Kikuchi, Framber Valdez and MacKenzie Gore. Heaney also is one of five lefties to throw at least 145 innings each of the past two seasons, along with Valdez, Kikuchi, Patrick Corbin and JP Sears.
“It’s something that if you’d asked me that two years ago, people probably would’ve laughed because they’d say ‘This guy is injury prone’ and all this stuff,” Heaney said. “For me personally, it’s taken time to really settle into who I am and how I operate, how to stay healthy, how to do all of those things. Everybody kind of goes at their own pace, but for me, these last couple years I’ve found a really good routine and just want to keep that going. So, it’s something that I feel good now, feel comfortable with and just got to keep repeating it.”
Pirates manager Derek Shelton said he was “really excited” about adding Heaney to a rotation that features All-Stars in Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller, right-hander Jared Jones and lefty Bailey Falter, emphasizing that the club likes having lefty pitchers at PNC Park.
“We like the stuff,” Shelton said. “Anytime we’re talking about extending our rotation — and I think we’ve done this by being able to extend it, which now it gives us some different looks with right-handers and left-handers. Really excited about the add.”
Now, Heaney has to acclimate after missing the first 10 days of spring training. He’s faced hitters in live bullpens, including pros, though his most recent opponents were junior-college players. Heaney knows what’s expected of him in Grapefruit League games, and it goes beyond setting an example for and serving as a mentor to young pitchers.
“I’ve got to go out there and perform. That’s what I’m getting paid to do, is to pitch and win games. That’s first and foremost,” Heaney said. “Beyond that, I want guys to feel comfortable coming to me with any questions, anything that they think I can help with. I’m not going to come in here and act like I’m some pitching guru and I know everything and I can fix everything. I think I just want guys to know that I’m approachable and relatable, whether it’s on or off the field, anything they have any questions about they can come to me.”
Notes: To make room for Heaney on the 40-man roster, the Pirates designated righty reliever Brett de Geus for assignment. In addition, the they reassigned right-hander Sean Sullivan to minor league camp and released right-hander Yerry Rodríguez.