$55 Million NL All-Star Candidate Named Braves Trade Target

Some of the starting pitcher free agents the Atlanta Braves elected not to sign this offseason aren't off to very good starts. But there's one who is.

Left-hander Andrew Heaney is off to a terrific start with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Through five starts, he is 2-1 with a 1.72 ERA and National League leading 0.766 WHIP in five starts. That makes Heaney an early All-Star candidate.

The Braves missed on adding Heaney in free agency, but Just Baseball's Eric Treuden argued the Braves should seize the opportunity to add the left-hander before the MLB trade deadline.

"The Braves have a ton of starting pitching depth down in the minor leagues, but there’s also going to end up being some quality options available on the trade market if they choose to go that route," wrote Treuden.

"Chief among them, at least to this point, is left-hander Andrew Heaney, who’s on an expiring contract while suiting up for the last-place Pirates. The 34-year-old has been a decent innings eater over the past few years, but he’s elevated his game in 2025."

Heaney has earned more than $55 million in his nine-plus MLB seasons. But this offseason, he joined the Pirates on a one-year, $5.25 million deal.

That cheap contract should be enticing for the Braves. As should the likely compensation it would take to acquire Heaney.

The left-hander is 34 years old, and as a rental player, he's not likely going to cost a lot of prospects to get him from the Pirates.

Pittsburgh sits in last place of the NL Central. If that doesn't change, Heaney will be one of the team's main trade assets in July or perhaps even before that.

It would be useful to the Braves to acquire more pitching well before the MLB trade deadline. By the end of July, Spencer Strider could have returned, and Reynaldo López may be on his way back too.

Neither are guaranteed to return at all. For the sake of argument, though, let's say they do -- the Braves then need starting pitching between now and then. Not so much in late July.

That fact could make Heaney an even better fit for the Braves. The Pirates appear to already be falling out of the race. They could sell-high on Heaney, and the penny-pinching organization could save as much cash as possible.

Buying-high on anyone isn't usually the best plan. But buying-high on Heaney still isn't likely to be as expensive as some other trade targets, and the Braves could add a quality veteran starter in May rather than need to wait two months.