The Atlanta Braves were built on starting pitching coming into the season, but now the rotation looks like a weakness.
Reynaldo López and Spencer Strider have been lost to the injured list, while Chris Sale has slumped coming off his Cy Young Award. Meanwhile, the number-five slot in the rotation has been a disaster, as Bryce Elder and A.J. Smith-Shawver have bounced between the majors and Triple-A.
As the Braves look to get back to .500, the rotation would be an obvious part of the roster to upgrade if the team buys at the trade deadline. Plus, Atlanta has a strong track record getting good results from veterans whose careers have been inconsistent.
Inconsistent, incidentally, is the word that defines one pitcher who projects to be available at the deadline.
On Friday, Just Baseball’s Eric Treuden named Pittsburgh Pirates starter Andrew Heaney as a strong potential trade fit for the Braves before the Jul. 31 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,” Treuden wrote.
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“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, 33, has been fantastic through five starts this season, posting a 1.72 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings. He’s making only $5.25 million on a one-year contract, so he’s the definition of a high-upside, cheap rental.
One can easily close their eyes and imagine Heaney getting big outs for the Braves in a playoff series, whether it’s in a starting role or long relief duty. But they’ll have to right the ship by July to prove they deserve to add a talent like him.
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