Pirates sign left-hander Andrew Heaney to one-year contract

Heaney joins a talented Pirates rotation with Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, Mitch Keller, and Bailey Falter part of Oscar Marin’s starting staff.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have added another starter to potentially one of the best rotations in baseball.

According to multiple reports on Thursday, the Pirates have signed left-handed starter Andrew Heaney to a one-year contract. The Pirates confirmed the move on Saturday.

Heaney’s deal was first reported by Robert Murray of FanSided and Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted Thursday night the contract is for $5.25 million, plus incentives.

Heaney, 32, finished 2024 5-14 in 32 games (31 starts). The lefty compiled a 4.28 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over 160 innings with 159 strikeouts.

He spent seven years with the Los Angeles Angels from 2015-21 after debuting with the Miami Marlins in 2014. Heaney started 59 games with the Rangers the past two seasons as a back-of-the-rotation starter

Heaney owns a career 4.28 ERA and posted a 2.1 WAR as a Texas Ranger. His best season came three years ago in 16 games (14 starts) for the LA Dodgers.

In a shorter workload, Heaney totaled a 3.10 ERA, 130 ERA+, 1.087 WHIP, 3,75 FIP, and an impressive 110 strikeouts over 72.2 innings. His strikeouts/9 reached 13.6 in a breakout season.

The Pirates rotation is the unquestioned strength of the 26-man roster, anchored by NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young finalist Paul Skenes. Jared Jones, Mitch Keller, and Bailey Falter return to the rotation and form what could become a top-five staff in baseball.

It’s realistic to believe they can be the reason the Pirates get back over .500, compete for a playoff spot, and play meaningful games in August and September. Heaney will be depended on as a big part of it and a second lefty to break up a right-handed heavy group.

Skenes will likely earn the Opening Day start, followed by Keller, and Heaney or Falter could be next to go left/right/left/right following Skenes. Derek Shelton and Oscar Marin have multiple options to work with and a staff capable of taking a jump in the weak NL Central. This is a critical year for Shelton and the organization – in year six – to get things right, anchored by a rotation with Skenes and adding Heaney looking to finish over .500 for the first time since 2018 and end a 10-year drought without playing meaningful October baseball again.