Texas Rangers free agent pitcher could be a great fit for the Athletics

Andrew Heaney has had an up and down last couple of seasons, but could him coming to the A's revitalize his career and help him bring the team back to prominence?

Sep 28, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Andrew Heaney (44) pitches during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The MLB offseason has been very active thus far. With every team deep into preparing for the 2025 campaign, moves are being made, with many of them being splashes that are changing the trajectory of the league. For the Athletics, the signing of Luis Severino signals that the team is ready to do whatever they can with the little resources that they have to draw talent and help them compete for an AL West title in their first year in Sacramento.

Severino is the biggest, and one of the only, names picked up by the A’s thus far, but that does not mean that they are done with glaring needs all over the roster. However, pitching seems to be a position of focus for the team, having struggled to establish a consistent core over the last couple of seasons.

Severino’s addition is a great start, but there are more moves that will need to be made in order for everything to really come together as planned. One name that could potentially be someone to watch for when it comes to landing with the A’s is left handed pitcher, Andrew Heaney.

Heaney, who has spent the previous two seasons pitching for the Texas Rangers, is coming off of an up and down 2024 that saw him finish the season with a 5-14 record with a 4.28 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP and 159 strikeouts in 32 games (31 starts). The last month of the season was particularly rough for the southpaw, as he gave up 17 runs combined in his final four starts, leading to a 5.96 ERA.

However over the course of his career, Heaney has established the reputation as being a reliable arm for any team that he is on, being a key member of the Rangers’ pitching staff on their 2023 World Series championship team.

The last two seasons have seen him finish with an ERA above a 4.00, as he also finished 2023 with a 4.10 ERA, which could make his price well within the A’s budget. Severino’s contract was unusual for a team that has historically had to find players on a bargain, as his $67 million dollar price tag is the largest in franchise history, but a Heaney deal could be much shorter and cheaper as his Rangers deal was for two years and was worth $25 million.

With his stats over his last two years, we could see his price tag drop. Over at FanGraphs, the crowd sourced projection for Heaney's next deal is the exact same at two years, $25 million.

In addition to being affordable, Heaney is a seasoned veteran, having been in the league since 2014, and would bring another experienced arm to pair with Severino and help an otherwise young rotation.

At 33 years old, Heaney is not considered young, but he is also still at an age in which a lot of pitchers are still excelling. And even as he is getting older, the last two seasons have seen him remain relatively healthy, as he has pitched in over 30 games in two straight years. This past season, he tossed 160 innings, and a quality pitcher that can eat innings is something that the A's are certainly after.

As far as his experience in the division, Heaney has spent a large part of his career in the AL West, really launching his career with the Los Angeles Angels after a brief stint with the Miami Marlins, and is very familiar with the landscape of the division and the ballparks that he would have to pitch in. That could also make things a whole lot easier in terms of getting his attention if the A’s were to show any signs of significant interest.

Nothing is confirmed or set in stone, but if this offseason has taught us anything, it’s that the A’s are willing to spend some big bucks in order to land the talent that they need. With a guy like Heaney still available, the thought of him potentially wearing the green and gold hat could be intriguing.