At 22-38 on the season, the only team worse in the National League than the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates are the absolutely pitiful Colorado Rockies at 10-50. Pittsburgh has already made a managerial change this season with Don Kelly relieving Derek Shelton of his duties. While the Pirates have played slightly better baseball under his watch, this is not going to be the season where it clicks for the team. So, what should they do at the deadline? The answer is certainly not trading away Paul Skenes. However, another pitcher could be on the block.
I would argue that this is a great year for them to sell high, especially when it comes to their pitching staff. No, trading Skenes this soon into his big-league career would be patently stupid. However, there is another member in the Pirates' starting rotation that could be dealt before the end of the summer. I am talking about their left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney.
Heaney has been around the block a few times in his 12-year big-league career out of Oklahoma State. With his ERA of 3.39 and WHIP of 1.191 being better than his career-average marks, it is only a matter of time before they regress to the mean. Look no further than his strikeout-to-walk ratio. He is walking almost twice as many batters per strikeout as he did a season ago with the Texas Rangers.
With Heaney in the midst of a contract year, it serves Pittsburgh to sell high before it is far too late.
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It serves the Pittsburgh Pirates to sell high on Andrew Heaney this year
One of the other things that Heaney has going for him is he has pitched for contending teams for the better part of the last few years. While Heaney did not taste the postseason until 2022 when he was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was part of the 2023 Rangers who went on to win their first World Series Championship in franchise history that year. Recent postseason experience matters!
Teams that are jockeying for playoff positioning at this stage of the season are constantly looking for players who can help their team. Heaney will only be a temporary solution for any team he does go to, but everybody who views themselves as a prospective champion is always in need of more pitching, especially when it comes to left-handers. Pitching to soft contact this season seems to help as well.
Overall, I do fully expect for the Pirates to sell off players who will not be part of next year's roster anyway to other teams. Being a postseason hero could help Heaney make even more money. Pittsburgh wants assets in the form of prospects and better draft positioning. While I did think there was a time this team could have competed this year, Pittsburgh was devoured by its brutal start.
If a team is comfortable with all the walks Heaney has been handing out, go ahead and trade for him.