Pittsburgh Pirates Pitcher Andrew Heaney Breaks Down Spring Training Debut

Andrew Heaney gave up four runs in 1.2 innings of action against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, just 10 days after he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Andrew Heaney (0) speaks with reporters in the clubhouse following a spring training game against the Boston Red Sox. | Sam Connon

BRADENTON, Fla. — When spring training got underway, Andrew Heaney was a free agent.

Fast-forward 10 days, and the veteran left-hander started a game for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"It's pretty quick, but I was ready," Heaney said.

At the same time, Heaney admitted he has yet to pitch to the Pirates' two big league catchers – Joey Bart and Endy Rodríguez. He had only thrown one bullpen session with Jason Delay before the pair took the field together against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday.

Heaney came out of the gates firing regardless, needing just 10 pitches to get through a 1-2-3 first inning. Back-to-back walks to open the second put Heaney in a tough position, though, and the Red Sox made him pay.

"When you throw a bullpen and you miss a spot by an inch, you feel good, you say 'Alright, I drilled that spot,'" Heaney said. "You go miss by an inch (in a game), it's a ball."

If it weren't for right fielder Bryan Reynolds missing a diving catch with two outs in the second, Heaney could have escaped with a respectable final line. Instead, a bases-loaded triple spoiled the southpaw's day.

Heaney had allowed two hits, three walks and four runs by the time he got the hook.

In his own words, Heaney's cutters were "decent" and his fastball was "fine." The 33-year-old sets a high bar for himself, knowing that spring training is the time to work out the kinks.

Heaney went 5-14 with a 4.28 ERA, 1.250 WHIP and 0.8 WAR across 32 appearances with the Texas Rangers in 2024. He won a World Series ring in 2023, tossing 11.0 innings during Texas' championship run.

The Pirates gave Heaney a one-year, $5.25 million contract for the 2025 season.

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