Pirates DFA Veteran Pitcher, Reactivate Star from IL, Among Other Moves

Pirates Designate Andrew Heaney for Assignment

It made sense for the Pirates to finally move on from the veteran left-hander Heaney, 34. The Pirates signed him to a one-year, $5.25 million deal before the season. Early on, he looked like a bargain. In his first 10 games, he was 3-3 with a 2.91 ERA, although his 4.07 FIP indicated trouble was on the horizon. Indeed, there was plenty of it from June 19 through August 11, when he posted an 8.19 ERA in 10 starts. During that time, he lasted just 40 2/3 innings and gave up a shocking 13 home runs.

Heaney was then moved to the bullpen, a role for which he was ill-suited. Surprisingly, he wasn’t dealt at the trade deadline. The official explanation from general manager Ben Cherington was that the Pirates didn’t need to trade him, and the younger pitchers would benefit from having Heaney around to answer questions. However, after a disastrous outing Monday evening in St. Louis, when he gave up five runs in two-thirds of an inning, the Pirates saw enough. It’s now clear that the explanation given for not trading Heaney was pure hogwash. Presumably, Pirates pitchers can still text him with any questions. He ends his Pirates career with a 5-10 record, 5.39 ERA, and 1.363 WHIP.

Pirates Reactivate Cruz

Center fielder Cruz was injured on August 12 at PNC Park when he and left fielder Jack Suwinski collided heads while diving for a shallow fly ball. Despite slashing .207/.304/.398, he leads the Pirates with 18 home runs and the National League with 34 stolen bases. The Pirates’ tepid offense has picked up lately, scoring 37 runs in their last eight games. Even so, seeing Cruz in their batting order will be a welcome sight for Pittsburgh. The big man is in Tuesday’s lineup, hitting cleanup.

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It’s a tough break for the switch-hitting Simón, who got a good look at the corner outfield spots and in the leadoff spot of the batting order. Not that the 25-year-old set the world on fire. He was just 7-for-30 in his seven games. Still, his .233 average far exceeds that of fellow outfielders Suwinski and Alexander Canario. But for better or worse, the Pirates are strangely committed to those two struggling outfielders.

The right-handed Moreta pitched well for the Pirates in 2023, with a 3.72 ERA, 2.93 FIP, 1.086 WHIP, and 31.8 percent strikeout rate. Unfortunately, injuries prevented him from pitching in the majors again until August 2. He made five relief appearances before being returned to Triple-A on August 11. Moreta is an interesting choice, given that the jettisoning of Heaney leaves the Pirates without a left-hander in the bullpen. Then again, the Pirates are looking toward 2026. They’re making decisions they probably wouldn’t make if they were playing meaningful games.

On the other hand, Tim Mayza, who, along with Justin Lawrence, had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A, could be the bullpen left-hander. The guess here, however, is that we’ve seen the last of this duo in a Pittsburgh uniform.