The New York Yankees need starting pitching depth this season after taking a few major hits to the rotation. They won’t have Gerrit Cole for the entire season, and they won’t have Luis Gil for a few months as well.
Yankees could pursue a reunion with Andrew Heaney in a trade
Therefore, they will be in the market to add starting pitching depth and form a solid rotation with Max Fried at the frontline as the ace. There are a few big names that they can pursue, such as Dylan Cease, Michael King, or Sandy Alcantara, but they can also go for a depth acquisition at a cheaper cost.
Sports Illustrated’s Dylan Sanders listed a few trade targets for New York to pursue, including a potential reunion with Pittsburgh Pirates left-handed starter Andrew Heaney.
“Heaney has been a solid starter throughout his career, but the 34-year-old has taken his game up a notch this season with the Pirates,” Sanders wrote. “Through five starts, he has a 1.72 ERA with an NL-best WHIP of 0.766. He has always been someone that rarely walks batters, but he has also been nearly unhittable this season.
“He has been heavily leaning on his fastball/changeup mix this season and both pitches are working wonders for him.”
Heaney could be a strong depth piece in the rotation
Heaney, a 12-year MLB veteran, has already been with the Yankees once in his career, but he is remembered for the wrong reasons. After getting traded to New York in 2021, Heaney posted a ghastly 7.32 ERA in 12 games (five starts) and struggled mightily.
However, since that fateful season, he has figured it out a bit on the mound. In 2022 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he posted a 3.10 ERA in 16 appearances (14 starts) and was a key part of the World Series-winning Texas Rangers rotation the following season.
Heaney could be a serviceable depth arm in the rotation and one who could be reliable for New York. The only caveat is that it would give the Yankees a third lefty in the starting rotation, which isn’t always ideal.
The Yankees will be looking at many different pitchers and will eventually need to determine who the best fit to pursue is. Perhaps Heaney could solve a lot of problems within their rotation.