Pirates Announce Corresponding Move After Andrew Heaney Signing
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates officially announced their signing of free agent left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney, which came with other roster moves.
The Pirates also announced that they designated right-handed pitcher Brett de Geus for assignment, as they made room for Heaney on the 40-man roster. They also released right-handed pitcher Yerry Rodríguez and reassigned right-handed pitcher Sean Sullivan to the minor league camp.
RHP Brett de Geus has been designated for assignment to make room for Heaney on the 40-man roster.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) February 22, 2025
RHP Yerry Rodríguez has been released and RHP Sean Sullivan has been reassigned to minor league camp.
Heaney reportedly signed a one-year deal worth $5.25 million that can rise with incentives.
He posted a 4.28 ERA with 159 strikeouts over 160 innings and 31 starts for the Texas Rangers in 2024. The year prior, he helped the franchise win its first World Series by finishing the season with a 4.15 ERA in 147 1/3 frames and 34 appearances, 28 of which were starts.
A former first-round pick, Heaney has spent the bulk of his major league career as a member of the Los Angeles Angels, with whom he logged a 4.51 ERA and 593 punch-outs across 569 1/3 innings from 2015 through the 2021 trade deadline, when he was sent to the New York Yankees.
The Pirates traded with the Toronto Blue Jays for de Geus in exchange for cash considerations on Jan. 18.
de Geus performed poorly in 2024, as he finished with a 7.15 ERA in 11.1 innings pitched over three teams, Seattle Mariners, Miami Marlins and Blue Jays.
He has spent most of his career in the minor leagues, aside from 2021, where he pitched for both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Rodríguez signed a minor league contract with the Pirates back on Nov. 18. He spent parts of the last three seasons at the MLB level with the Rangers and played the latter part of last season with the Blue Jays.
The Pirates took Sullivan in the eighth round in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Cal. He spent the past two seasons with the Altoona Curve, with a 10-9 record in 39 games and 34 starts, a 3.86 ERA in 186.1 innings pitched, 154 strikeouts to 60 walks and a 1.26 WHIP.
