Perrotto: Andrew Heaney Could Prove Stopped-Clock Theory

A wise man once told me that even a stopped clock is right twice daily.

In other words, nobody is always wrong. Everyone is at least occasionally right about something.

I had my stopped-clock moment over the weekend when the Pittsburgh Pirates signed veteran left-hander Andrew Heaney as a free agent. The 33-year-old agreed to a one-year contract worth $5.25 million.

Two weeks ago, I wrote that the Pirates should consider signing Heaney. I am just as certain now as I was then that Heaney could play a role for the Pirates as they try to lift themselves into contention this year following back-to-back 76-86 seasons.

The Pirates already had a potentially outstanding rotation with Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Jared Jones and Bailey Falter as the top four starters. None is older than 28 and Skenes is just 22, though he pitches like he is much older.

Andrew Heaney Brings Rotational Stability

It is always good to have a veteran stabilizer in the rotation. Keller has 131 career starts but has never pitched in the postseason or even a pennant race.

Heaney has been in the major leagues for 11 seasons, made 185 regular-season starts and pitched once as a starter and once in relief for the Texas Rangers in the 2023 World Series when they beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games.

The Pirates have intentionally added free agents with winning pedigrees. General manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton want the newcomers to bring a winning edge to a franchise with losing seasons in 28 of the last 32 years.

Heaney has had an ordinary career. Some critics will point to his 5-14 record last season and say Heaney is washed up.

Andrew Heaney is officially in Bradenton, FL with the Bucs!

He told me how he plans to “blend” himself into the pitcher we can expect in Pittsburgh in 2025! ⬇️ @SNPittsburgh #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/AkpwZMUQOR

— Hannah Mears (@mearshannah_) February 22, 2025

Yet in today’s game of quick hooks by managers, it’s harder than ever for starters to compile wins.

Heaney’s 92 OPS+ meant he was just eight percent below league average, a year after having a 103 mark and a 10-6 record. His WHIP in 2024 was also a respectable 1.250.

None of those statistics are a big deal. However, the Pirates also aren’t paying top dollar for Heaney, who was forced to sign a below-market contract 10 days into spring training.

Durability a Recent Andrew Heaney Trait

Heaney is one of three left-handers in the major leagues to have at least 150 strikeouts, 145 innings and 25 starts each of the last two seasons. The others are the Houston Astros’ Framber Valdez and the Los Angeles Angels’ Yusei Kikuchi.

Free agent Patrick Corbin and the Athletics’ JP Sears are also two of just five lefties to pitch at least 145 innings in both 2023 and 2024.

Heaney’s ability to take the ball is important for the Pirates. Certainly, Skenes and Jones won’t have all the governors removed from their innings limits in their second seasons. The prospects at Triple-A Indianapolis – Bubba Chandler, Thomas Harrington, Braxton Ashcraft and Mike Burrows – will have their workloads carefully monitored.

I’ve never met Heaney, but his reputation within the game is sterling. Yet though it might not mean anything to the analytics-heavy fans, Heaney is considered a person of high character and an outstanding teammate.

Things like that still matter, even in today’s increasingly impersonal world.

Adding a guy like Andrew Heaney on the cheap is a low-risk move by the Pirates. And it could work out. If so, the Pirates can thank me for the advice when the clock stops.