Pirates’ Curious Decision to Keep Andrew Heaney at Deadline Makes Even Less Sense
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ odd choice to hold onto Andrew Heaney at the July 31 trade deadline has become even more confusing.
Heaney, who will become a free agent at season’s end, seemed certain to switch teams, but general manager Ben Cherington had other ideas.
Instead of trading Heaney and his expiring contract, the Pirates dealt another pitcher from their starting rotation. Bailey Falter was traded to the Kansas City Royals for a 28-year-old reliever currently in Triple-A Indianapolis and a first baseman now in High-A Greensboro.
It’s the kind of return the Pirates probably could’ve gotten if they chose to move Heaney, who doesn’t factor into the team’s future plans yet continues to get starts down the stretch.
Heaney was on the mound for the Pirates in their 7-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night, and his struggles continued.
The left-hander lasted only four innings and allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits (two homers) with two walks and three strikeouts. Over his last nine starts, Heaney has an 8.19 ERA.
It wouldn’t make sense for Heaney to still be getting starts for the Pirates had he been pitching well in recent weeks. It really doesn’t make sense for him to be getting starts considering how poorly he’s thrown the ball for nearly two months.
As stated earlier, Heaney will not be with the Pirates in 2026. They will not get anything for him when he walks in free agency. He was one of three rental players curiously kept at the deadline along with utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa and outfielder Tommy Pham.
But in regards to Heaney, the Pirates have several options they should be trying to get eyes on before the season ends, and the larger the sample the better.
Top prospect Bubba Chandler was expected to have made his big-league debut by now. But some poor performance of late and lingering command issues are at least part of the reason why he’s still with Indianapolis.
Chandler still projects to be a big piece of the Pirates’ starting rotation next season. At some point, the Pirates will have no choice but to call him up, and it should be relatively soon. That way, he can work with the major-league staff to try and solve the wildness that has plagued him and get his feet wet against the game’s best players. It’s better to go through growing pains now as opposed to 2026, when the Pirates say they plan on competing for a playoff spot.
Even if they want Chandler to spend more time in Indianapolis, there are other alternatives who could be part of the Pirates’ future.
Johan Oviedo returned from Tommy John surgery during the last homestand and pitched one inning before he was sent back down to Indianapolis. Oviedo totaled 32 starts for the Pirates in 2023 prior to his injuries and put up respectable numbers.
Braxton Ashcraft, who has spent most of his rookie season in the bullpen but was a career starter in the minor leagues, filled the void left by Oviedo’s demotion and threw a career-high 3.1 innings on Saturday. The Pirates will need to be cautious with Ashcraft given his injury history and workload, but he could wind up back in the rotation next season. Why not see what he’s capable of now to get a better idea?
For a team that says they’re focused on building a better team in 2026, it really doesn’t seem like it given some of the roster decisions — Heaney included.
Maybe it’s time for the Pirates to bid farewell to the veteran left-hander, both for the team’s sake and for his.
By releasing him, a contender looking for left-handed pitching depth can sign him, and if he puts pen to paper before Sep. 1, Heaney will be eligible to pitch in the postseason.
That sounds like the best scenario for everyone involved.
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