Brewers Could Trade For Pirates 'Veteran Lefty' To Bolster Rotation

Are the Milwaukee Brewers going to add to their pitching rotation this summer, or will they roll the dice and hope that their fragile rotation remains healthy?

The Brew Crew began the 2025 campaign with most of its rotation injured. Jose Quintana has since returned to health and made two starts (both wins), but Milwaukee is still waiting on Brandon Woodruff, Tobias Myers, and Aaron Civale to ditch the Injured List and join Quintana and ace Freddy Peralta in the rotation.

Once those guys get back, you have to think some or all of them will be dealing with rust. There’s also the possibility of re-injury, or that not all will be as effective as expected.

Case in point — Milwaukee should be on the lookout for more starting pitching depth on the trade market.

Are the Brewers going to change their frugal ways and go all-in on a deal for someone like Sandy Alcántara or Framber Valdez? Probably not. But there are cheaper options available.

One starter the Brewers should keep an eye on is Andrew Heaney of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 33-year-old former World Series champion was mentioned by Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly on Friday as a likely trade chip.

“It would be best for baseball if Paul Skenes is pitching in October, and given how wide open the NL Central is, it's too early to rule the Pirates out in 2025,” Kelly wrote.

“The feeling here, though, is that they don't have nearly enough offensively to be a playoff team.”

“Should the Buccos fail to contend this season, Andrew Heaney is another arm that teams looking to add rotation depth likely will check in on. The veteran lefty has looked good in his first month with the Pirates after signing a one-year, $5.25 million deal. He may not be someone who starts a playoff game, but he could help to get you there.”

Heaney is 1-1 with a 2.13 ERA so far in 2025 for Pittsburgh (four starts, 25 1/3 innings pitched).

He’s not afraid of the big moment — having pitched for major-market teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees — and could end up being a pivotal playoff piece for the Brewers if they make a deal.

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