Texas Rangers Free Agent Pitcher Predicted To Land With NL East Contenders

A Texas Rangers free agent has been predicted to land with a new team in the NL East.

Sep 22, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Andrew Heaney (44) pitches against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning at Globe Life Field. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers pitching staff has undergone some major changes this offseason.

They had several key contributors from last year’s staff hit free agency including starting pitchers Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney and Max Scherzer. In the bullpen, Kirby Yates, David Robertson, Andrew Chafin and Jose Leclerc headline the players who hit the market.

To this point, the only one of that group who has been retained by the Rangers has been Eovaldi, who agreed to a three-year, $75 million deal.

Scherzer, Yates and Leclerc all moved on, agreeing to deals with the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Athletics, respectively.

Where could the other free agent pitchers land?

Chafin had been connected to the New York Yankees, but with their re-signing of Tim Hill may not be in the market for another reliever. Robertson, arguably the most qualified reliever left, has been loosely connected to a few teams in need of late-game help.

The market for Heaney, however, has been quiet.

His production wasn’t great in 2024, he went 5-14 with a 4.28 ERA and 1.25 WHIP across 160 innings with 159 strikeouts.

Durability has been a concern at times for Heaney in his career, but he has made at least 30 appearances in three out of the last four campaigns, mostly as a starter but with 16 relief outings as well.

With less than two weeks until spring training gets underway, it is a surprise that he remains without a team. While not an ace, he has shown the ability to perform at the level that would make him a No. 2 or No. 3 starter in several rotations.

Teams can never have too much starting pitching, so where could he end up?

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report has predicted that he will be taking his talents to the National League East, helping solidify the starting rotation of the Atlanta Braves.

They could certainly use the help after Max Fried and Charlie Morton both departed in free agency, agreeing to deals with the Yankees and Baltimore Orioles, respectively. There is also the unknown surrounding their ace Spender Strider and when he could return to the mound.

Ian Anderson and Grant Holmes leave something to be desired as backend starters and adding Heaney would lower the team’s reliance on them in the rotation.

Chris Sale is coming off a Cy Young Award-winning campaign and Reynaldo Lopez pitched remarkably well too in 2024. Can they replicate those performances after dealing with so many injuries previously?

There are a lot of question marks in the Atlanta rotation. Heaney could help put some of them to rest, providing excellent insurance for the group with some upside. Maybe he could experience the uptick in production Sale and Lopez did upon landing with the Braves.

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