One of the biggest question marks surrounding the Atlanta Braves this spring is which pitcher will claim the final rotation spot. Veteran Ian Anderson will battle young prospects AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep during spring training as the team seems keen on slotting Grant Holmes as the fourth starter out of camp.
Sadly, yesterday the Braves missed out on cheap starting pitcher that could have really stabilized the backend of their rotation. Left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney, formerly of the Texas Rangers, signed a one year deal worth $5 million plus incentives.
Braves not signing Andrew Heaney tells fans they won't be spending on the rotation before the season starts
Heaney is a 33 year-old LHP that was never going to command a big payday this winter. However, signing for just $5 million with the Pirates is considerably under the $20-30 million multi-year deal projections he got when the offseason began.
Heaney's upside isn't something that may have interested Atlanta, but his ability to eat innings and post decent numbers made him a perfect Charlie Morton replacement. Last season Heaney threw 160 innings for Texas and posted a respectable 4.28 ERA and 4.04 FIP. For comparison Morton posted a 4.19 ERA and 4.46 FIP in 165 innings last season.
Heaney also would've given the Braves another lefty in the rotation outside of reigning NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale. It's true Heaney doesn't blow hitters away with his velocity (averaged just 91.5 mph on his four-seam fastball), but he excels at limiting walks (5.9 BB% ranked in the 83rd percentile) and is about as durable as a pitcher can be. He certainly feels like a safer bet to succeed in 2025 compared to Ian Anderson.
It's understandable the Braves want to see what they have in Anderson given he's out of minor league options, but even if they're set on putting Anderson in the rotation they have a perfectly good Grant Holmes ready to shift into a bullpen lacking very much depth right now. It makes you wonder why the Braves weren't more aggressive for Heaney at this price.