The Pittsburgh Pirates need to make some upgrades this winter. Pittsburgh has Paul Skenes on its roster for the next few seasons. When Skenes is up for a contract extension, there’s almost no chance the Pirates re-sign him. So, they need to do everything they can to win while Skenes is in the Steel City.
Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller recently suggested the Pirates could be a sneaky candidate in the race to sign Texas Rangers free agent Andrew Heaney. Heaney is projected to sign for $21 million this winter, per Spotrac.
“Heaney will likely land on a team with a big enough budget to justify spending $10M-$15M annually on a No. 3 or No. 4 starter,” Miller wrote. “And, well, normally, that doesn’t describe the Pirates in any way, shape or form. But they’ve got some wiggle room as we near the end of what has been an even quieter offseason than usual for them.
“After investing more than $30M in one-year deals in each of the past two winters, all Pittsburgh has done this offseason is to re-sign Andrew McCutchen for $5M and add Caleb Ferguson to the bullpen for $3M. The Pirates currently have a projected payroll nearly $10M below where they opened last season, and certainly should be a candidate to sign a starting pitcher in Heaney’s price range.”
In the same article, Miller lists the Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres as the most likely suitors for Heaney. Both of these teams need to add a lefty, but the Pirates have the chance to steal this veteran from them.
Heaney has been solid over the last few years, despite suffering 14 losses in 2024, and the Pirates would find use for him in the middle of their rotation.
Pittsburgh may have to overpay a bit to bring a veteran like this to town, but it could end up worth it.
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