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Andrew Heaney

Dodgers Place Andrew Heaney On Injured List

By Steve Adams | June 24, 2022 at 4:30pm CDT

4:30pm: Manager Dave Roberts tells reporters that Heaney has a strain in his shoulder as well (Twitter link via Jack Harris of the L.A. Times). The team is still hopeful that Heaney will only need to miss a couple of starts, but he’ll be shut down entirely for the next few days to give his shoulder some rest.

3:38pm: Dodgers lefty Andrew Heaney is headed back to the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his left shoulder, the team announced Friday. Right-hander Reyes Moronta is up from Triple-A Oklahoma City in his place.

It’s the second IL stint of the season for Heaney, who inked a one-year, $8.5MM deal as a free agent early in the offseason. Thus far, he’s only been able to make three starts for the Dodgers, though each of that trio has been excellent. Heaney allowed his first earned run of the season in his lone start between IL stints and is now sitting on a 0.59 ERA and a 23-to-4 K/BB ratio through 15 1/3 frames. Armed with a new slider, Heaney has punched out 36.5% of his opponents this year while inducing chases off the plate at a strong 35.7% clip and recording a terrific 18.5% swinging-strike rate.

The Dodgers didn’t provide a timetable for Heaney’s potential return, though it’s obviously of some concern that this is his second IL stint owing to shoulder troubles. The 31-year-old southpaw originally landed on the injured list back on April 20 and missed nearly two months while that injury mended.

With Heaney going back on the shelf and Walker Buehler out for an extended absence, the Dodgers will lean on Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urias, Tyler Anderson and Tony Gonsolin in the rotation. Twenty-seven-year-old righty Mitch White has made four starts so far this season and could be an option to step back into a starting role, and the Dodgers have also given prospects Ryan Pepiot and Michael Grove their big league debuts this season.

The hope is that righty Dustin May will eventually be able to make a return from Tommy John surgery this summer, but he’s still a ways off from being a realistic option. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters last weekend that May has been throwing bullpens and will next throw around four sessions of live batting practice before progressing to the next step (Twitter link via Juan Toribio of MLB.com). May would presumably need several minor league rehab starts before being cleared to join the big league roster, all of which suggests that an August return is possible.

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Los Angeles Dodgers Andrew Heaney

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Dodgers Place Mookie Betts On 10-Day Injured List, Activate Andrew Heaney

By TC Zencka | June 19, 2022 at 1:06pm CDT

As expected, the Dodgers have placed Mookie Betts on the 10-day injured list and recalled Zach McKinstry. They also activated starter Andrew Heaney, optioning Reyes Moronta.

Betts excellence has become almost commonplace, as he’s again putting together a season that should merit MVP consideration if he’s able to return healthy. The former MVP is hitting .273/.349/.535 for a 148 wRC+. Combining that batting line with his excellent defense and baserunning, Betts has already accrued 3.3 wins above replacement on the year, in the estimation of FanGraphs.

As much as it hurts to lose Betts, Heaney is a big return for the Dodgers. Los Angeles is eager to see what exactly they have in Heaney, who made two scoreless starts at the outset of this season before going on the injured list. The former Angel is coming off a disastrous season, of course, in which he logged an overall 5.83 ERA/4.85 FIP with the Angels and Yankees. He became basically unplayable while in pinstripes, but looks to bounce back in Dodger blue.

Moronta, 29, losing his spot on the big league club for now. Moronta has been consistently good in the Majors, though is mostly limited samples. He has made eight appearances this season with an even 2.00 ERA and 2.47 FIP. It’s likely that he will return to the bigs at some point this season.

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Los Angeles Dodgers Transactions Andrew Heaney Mookie Betts Reyes Moronta Zach McKinstry

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Injury Notes: deGrom, Muncy, Heaney, Flaherty, Dickerson

By Mark Polishuk | June 4, 2022 at 6:59pm CDT

Jacob deGrom hit a notable checkpoint in his injury recovery today, as the Mets ace threw a 19-pitch bullpen session.  GM Billy Eppler told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo) that deGrom threw only fastballs of “moderate intensity,” and deGrom will continue to build up his arm strength and readiness with more bullpen sessions in the coming days.

Between the planned program of these bullpens, live batting practice, and then 3-5 rehab starts in the minors, deGrom is tentatively scheduled to make his season debut in July.  This timeline is still fluid, of course, given how today’s bullpen session marked the very first time deGrom has even pitched off a mound since March.  Between a forearm issue that prematurely ended his 2021 season and then a stress reaction in his right shoulder during Spring Training, deGrom hasn’t pitched in a Major League game since July 7, 2021.

More on other injury situations around baseball…

  • Max Muncy and Andrew Heaney began rehab assignments with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate, with both veterans in tonight’s starting lineup.  Muncy was only played on the 10-day IL on May 28, and given how he has been playing with a partial UCL tear since last October, it is a very promising sign to see him already on a rehab assignment, though it isn’t know how many games Muncy will play in Triple-A.  Heaney seems likely to receive multiple rehab starts considering his longer stint on the injured list, as shoulder discomfort sidelined the left-handed back on April 20.
  • Jack Flaherty is also set to start his own rehab assignment, as the Cardinals right-hander is scheduled to pitch Sunday for Double-A Springfield.  Cards manager Oliver Marmol told MLB.com’s John Denton and other reporters that Flaherty will throw 40-45 pitches, and depending on his status following that outing, will then throw either 40-45 pitches or 55-60 pitches in his next rehab start.  Shoulder problems have plagued Flaherty in each of the last two seasons, and he has yet to pitch in 2022 due to inflammation in his right shoulder during Spring Training.
  • In other St. Louis injury news, Corey Dickerson made an early exit from the first game of the Cardinals’ doubleheader with the Cubs.  Dickerson was replaced in right field prior to the bottom of the second inning due to left calf discomfort, and it isn’t clear if the injury was triggered by anything in the game, as Dickerson had yet to make a play in the field or take an at-bat.  After signing a one-year, $5MM free agent deal with St. Louis in March, Dickerson has hit only .194/.245/.286 in his first 106 plate appearances, though he is coming off his best game of the season — Dickerson hit his first two home runs of 2022 in the Cardinals’ 14-5 victory over the Cubs on Friday.
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Los Angeles Dodgers New York Mets Notes St. Louis Cardinals Andrew Heaney Corey Dickerson Jack Flaherty Jacob deGrom Max Muncy

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NL West Notes: Melancon, Dodgers, Bryant

By Steve Adams | May 16, 2022 at 10:13am CDT

Diamondbacks closer Mark Melancon took his fifth loss Saturday — a remarkable stat given that he entered the year with 30 losses in 13 prior seasons — and manager Torey Lovullo answered somewhat vaguely when asked whether the four-time All-Star would remain in the closer’s role (link via Jose M. Romero of the Arizona Republic). “We’re going to still have some more discussions about his availability,” Lovullo said while also accepting responsibility for some of Melancon’s struggles, which have come amid a heavy workload. Melancon spent a week on the Covid list from April 29 through May 6 and then made six appearances in a span of nine days following his activation. He yielded 10 runs in 3 2/3 innings during that time.

Signed by the D-backs to a two-year, $14MM contract over the winter, Melancon has surrendered 14 runs (11 earned) on 20 hits and five walks with just four strikeouts in 11 2/3 frames thus far. His fastball, which averaged 92.2 mph in 2021, is now sitting at just 90.8 mph. Melancon’s swinging-strike and chase rates are actually better than last season’s marks, though, and he’s been plagued by a sky-high .396 average on balls in play. If the Diamondbacks do go in another direction, veteran Ian Kennedy has ample experience and is second on the team with five holds, having been Lovullo’s primary eighth-inning option thus far.

Some more notes from the division…

  • Dodgers lefties Clayton Kershaw and Andrew Heaney could both be ready for bullpen sessions this week, manager Dave Roberts said at yesterday’s media session (Twitter links via The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya). Kershaw felt some minor soreness while playing catch but could be cleared for a ’pen session by Wednesday. There’s no specific day set for a Heaney bullpen, but he’s also been playing catch. Kershaw has a 1.80 ERA through five starts and 30 innings this season but recently landed on the shelf owing to a hip issue that was treated with an epidural. Heaney has been out since mid-April due to shoulder trouble but opened plenty of eyes early in his Dodgers tenure. In 10 1/3 innings, Heaney allowed only an unearned run on four hits and three walks with a whopping 16 strikeouts. Brandishing a new-look slider in place of his former curveball and having all but scrapped his changeup, Heaney posted a mammoth 20.5% swinging-strike rate and 36.5% opponents’ chase rate prior to landing on the IL. He inked a one-year, $8.5MM deal with the Dodgers at the beginning of the offseason. Kershaw signed a one-year, $17MM deal to return not long after the lockout lifted.
  • Kris Bryant is joining the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate for a pair of minor league rehab games this week, tweets Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette. If all goes well, he could be back in the lineup for the Rox by the weekend. Out since April 26 due to a back injury that the team hoped would require a minimum IL stay, Bryant will instead wind up missing three-plus weeks of action, at least. As Nick Groke of The Athletic writes, Bryant received a cortisone shot last week after an initial period of rest didn’t fully remedy his ailment. Bryant’s return could push the struggling Sam Hilliard to Triple-A, particularly with the out-of-options Yonathan Daza hitting well at the moment and thus giving the team a productive fourth outfield option. Utilityman Garrett Hampson is also capable of playing all three outfield spots, though he’s been primarily used as an infielder in 2022.
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Arizona Diamondbacks Colorado Rockies Los Angeles Dodgers Notes Andrew Heaney Clayton Kershaw Kris Bryant Mark Melancon

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Dodgers Place Andrew Heaney On Injured List, Recall Zach McKinstry

By Darragh McDonald | April 20, 2022 at 2:31pm CDT

The Dodgers have announced that Andrew Heaney has been placed on the injured list with left shoulder discomfort. Utility player Zach McKinstry has been recalled to take his place on the roster. No timetable was given for Heaney’s return.

It’s a bit of a surprising move as Heaney had made two excellent starts on the season so far, with no signs of distress. Through 10 1/3 innings on the campaign, he’s racked up 16 strikeouts against three walks, without allowing an earned run. In his MLB time thus far, mostly with the Angels, Heaney has shown tantalizing potential with tremendous strikeout numbers but continually being hampered by the long ball. In the six seasons from 2016 to 2021, he had a strikeout rate of 24% or above in each of them. However, his lowest ERA in that time was 4.15. Despite those inconsistent results, the Dodgers took a chance on him, signing him to a one-year, $8.5MM deal for this season. The early results were clearly excellent, with Heaney adding a slider that has helped him have two great starts to begin his Dodgers tenure. However, he and the club will now have to wait at least ten days to continue the experiment.

The Dodgers have an off-day tomorrow and another one a week later on the 28th, which will help them weather Heaney’s absence. It’s possible that Tyler Anderson will make the jump from long relief into the rotation for the time being.

As for McKinstry, the 26-year-old (27 next week) has appeared in games for the Dodgers in each of the past two seasons. In 179 career plate appearances, he has a slash line of .218/.264/.406, while playing second base, third base and both corner outfield spots.

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Los Angeles Dodgers Transactions Andrew Heaney Zach McKinstry

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Reds Had Interest In Andrew Heaney

By Darragh McDonald | January 9, 2022 at 11:43am CDT

This offseason has largely been about subtraction for the Reds so far, with Tucker Barnhart getting traded to the Tigers, Wade Miley going to the Cubs on waivers and Michael Lorenzen joining the Angels via free agency. Nick Castellanos also opted out of the remainder of his contract and, though he remains a free agent, seems unlikely to re-sign in Cincinnati. There have also been numerous rumors swirling about teams around the league trying to pry Luis Castillo, Tyler Mahle and Sonny Gray away, as the club is apparently looking to “align our payroll to our resources“, as general manager Nick Krall phrased it.

However, there was at least one addition that the club considered prior to the lockout, as Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that they were interested in Andrew Heaney before he signed with the Dodgers. Whether the club actively pursued Heaney isn’t known, but the interest is noteworthy, especially given the fact that they haven’t signed a free agent to a major league deal yet this offseason.

Heaney took the final spot on MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents, with a prediction for a one-year, $6MM deal. It’s possible that Cincinnati’s interest was in that range, as he ultimately landed with the Dodgers for slightly more, a one-year deal worth $8.5MM. With Gray set to make almost $11MM in 2022 and Castillo likely getting close to $8MM in arbitration, perhaps they viewed Heaney as a low-cost way of supplementing the rotation after losing Miley and maybe another starter.

After six straight losing seasons from 2014 to 2019, the Reds emerged from their recent rebuilding effort in 2020, going 31-29 and qualifying for the expanded postseason. 2021 was another winning effort, as the club went 83-79, but that wasn’t enough to qualifying for the postseason. Despite that progress, the front office seems to be stuck in an awkward position where they don’t want to start another rebuild so quickly but don’t have the ability to make a significant addition to the payroll.

Exactly how they plan to walk this fine line isn’t yet known, but Heaney would have been a low-cost, high-reward gamble for them. He has long tantalized teams with excellent strikeout and walk numbers, but disappointing results largely caused by the long ball. In 2021, for instance, he gave up 29 home runs and had an ERA of 5.83, but a strikeout rate of 26.9% and walk rate of 7.3%, both of those being better than league average. Given their apparently limited resources, it makes sense for the Reds to be drawn to such a gamble. However, their home field of Great American Ball Park is considered to be quite hitter-friendly, especially when it comes to home runs. It would have been challenging for Heaney to finally reach his full potential in that environment. But given their financial situation, perhaps those are the types of gambles the club will be trying to make after the lockout.

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Cincinnati Reds Andrew Heaney

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Latest On Red Sox Pitching Targets

By Mark Polishuk | November 20, 2021 at 4:22pm CDT

The Red Sox are known to be looking for rotation help this winter, and the club has “had varying degrees of contact with virtually all of the top starters on the market,” The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier writes.  This includes reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray, who hadn’t previously been linked to the Sox on the rumor mill, though it naturally stands to reason that the Red Sox would have interest in such a prominent arm.

Given the wide net the Sox are casting in their pitching search, it isn’t known if Ray is necessarily at the top of Boston’s list of potential targets.  Signing Ray would come at a double cost — one of the biggest contracts given to any free agent this offseason, as well as a penalty of $500K reduction from Boston’s international draft pool and a second-round draft pick, since Ray rejected the Blue Jays’ qualifying offer.

The Red Sox might be willing to accept those penalties to sign a top-tier starter like Ray, however, as Speier notes that the team also had interest in another QO free agent in Justin Verlander.  “Talks never advanced” too far between the two sides before Verlander agreed to return to Houston on a two-year, $50MM pact, but if the Red Sox were open to surrendering a pick for a shorter-term addition like Verlander, it would stand to reason that they’d also be open to giving up a pick to add Ray on a longer-term commitment.  It should be noted that the Sox have some extra draft capital to work with next summer, as since Eduardo Rodriguez rejected Boston’s qualifying offer and then agreed to a deal with the Tigers, the Red Sox will receive an extra selection between Competitive Balance Round B and the start of the third round.

As for other now-signed free agent hurlers, Speier writes that the Red Sox were one of the teams bidding on Andrew Heaney, and the left-hander was given a one-year offer “competitive with the $8.5MM he signed for with the Dodgers.”  Speier also notes that the Red Sox didn’t have interest in Noah Syndergaard, which runs contrary to a report from The New York Post’s Joel Sherman earlier this week that suggested Boston made an “aggressive” offer to Syndergaard before the righty signed with the Angels.

Steven Matz is a pitcher known to be of interest to the Red Sox, and it is possible Matz might decide on his next team relatively quickly.  According to Speier, Matz would prefer to have an agreement in place prior to the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement on December 1, and the signing freeze that would come with a potential lockout on December 2.  Matz is hoping to get a deal done by Thanksgiving, and given the number of teams already known to have checked in on the southpaw, it certainly seems plausible that a deal could be reached this week.  Besides the Red Sox, Matz has been linked to the Dodgers, Cardinals, and Angels, plus the Blue Jays have continued to explore re-signing Matz for a longer term in Toronto.

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Boston Red Sox Notes Andrew Heaney Justin Verlander Noah Syndergaard Robbie Ray Steven Matz

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Quick Hits: Marte, Neris, Dominguez, Heaney, McLeod

By Mark Polishuk | November 13, 2021 at 9:55pm CDT

The Marlins were known to be interested in reuniting with Starling Marte, and The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson (Twitter link) reports that the Fish have already stepped up with an offer for the free agent outfielder.  Since Marte is still gathering interest from many teams, “no decision [is] imminent” on either the Marlins’ offer or whatever might be floated by another club.  The 33-year-old Marte has plenty of leverage to work with as the top everyday center fielder of this year’s free agent class, though the Marlins’ early offer does indicate their laser focus on ways to upgrade their lineup.

It could be interesting to observe if the Marlins could be similarly aggressive in approaching other free agents with offers — should such an offer be floated towards a player with fewer options than Marte, Miami might be able to strike a quick deal.  In Marte’s case, however, the Marlins now have to contend with such known suitors as the Yankees, Phillies, and Mets, plus any other clubs that might yet emerge.  The Astros could be another team in the mix, as MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (via Twitter) that Houston met with Marte’s agents.

More from around the league….

  • The Phillies have interest in re-signing Hector Neris and the team will also tender a contract to Seranthony Dominguez, president of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski told reporters (including NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury).  Neris has generally pitched well over his eight seasons in Philly, though some high-profile blowups and down periods have made him an unreliable choice as closer.  “We’d prefer to bring him back as a non-ninth-inning guy.  That would be our hope,” Dombrowski said, and since Neris also expressed an openness to any bullpen role back in September, there would appear to be some common ground.  As for Dominguez, he underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2020 and made it back to pitch one inning in the Phils’ last game of the 2021 campaign.  The Phillies already opted to tender Dominguez a contract last winter in his first year of arbitration eligibility, so it stands to reason that they’d retain him now that he should be healthy to pitch.  Dominguez is projected for an $800K salary in 2022.
  • The Blue Jays’ interest in Andrew Heaney included “a strong offer” for the lefty’s services before Heaney signed with the Dodgers, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi writes.  Despite a rough 2021 season, Heaney’s peripherals were intriguing enough that Toronto, Los Angeles, and at least two other teams were known to be considering a signing.
  • Former Cubs senior VP Jason McLeod could be close to a new job, as McLeod tells NBC Sports Chicago’s Gordon Wittenmyer that “There’s three or four teams I’m talking to a little more intently [than others] about potentially joining them in an executive position.  It’s still determined what the exact roles would be.”  McLeod has a long association with Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer dating back to their time together in the Red Sox front office, and McLeod left the Cubs last month after a decade-long run in Wrigleyville.  McLeod didn’t mention specifics about his potential suitors but he hasn’t heard from the Mets about their front office vacancy.
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Houston Astros Miami Marlins Notes Philadelphia Phillies Toronto Blue Jays Andrew Heaney Hector Neris Jason McLeod Seranthony Dominguez Starling Marte

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Dodgers Notes: Friedman, Payroll, Betts, Roberts, Heaney, Injuries

By Mark Polishuk | November 11, 2021 at 10:32am CDT

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman spoke with reporters (including The Los Angeles Times’ Mike DiGiovanna, The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, and The Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett) about several topics surrounding the team, including how much payroll might be available to acquire or re-sign premium players this winter.  Unsurprisingly, Friedman didn’t state any kind of dollar figure, noting that he has yet to receive an official budget for 2022.  That said, he noted that “our [ownership] group has demonstrated at every single turn its strong desire to win, and this year will be no different.  What that means in terms of an actual payroll number, I’m not sure, but I feel confident we’ll have the requisite talent to be a real championship competitor.”

By far the biggest spenders in baseball in 2021, the Dodgers soared over the Competitive Balance Tax threshold with an approximated $275MM tax number.  While it isn’t clear if L.A. will quite hit those payroll heights again, it seems very likely that the Dodgers will pay more tax penalties next year considering how much money is already on their books.  Of course, we also don’t know what the luxury tax threshold will even be next year, or if the CBT will be altered as players and owners negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement.

More from Friedman…

  • It doesn’t seem like Mookie Betts will need any sort of procedure to fix the hip injuries that plagued him in 2021.  Hip inflammation twice sent Betts to the 10-day injured list for brief absences last year, and while his production was down from his usual numbers, Betts still hit .264/.367/.487 with 23 homers over 550 plate appearances even while being less than 100 percent for most of the season.
  • Freidman reiterated that the team wants manager Dave Roberts “to be a big part of what we accomplish looking forward,” though the Dodgers have more immediate offseason business that must be addressed before the club can talk with Roberts about a contract extension.  Roberts’ four-year deal is up after the 2022 season, and the 49-year-old has an outstanding 542-329 record over his six seasons as the Los Angeles manager, with the 2020 World Series championship, two other NL pennants, and five NL West titles on his resume.
  • The Dodgers already made a quick move to sign Andrew Heaney to a one-year, $8.5MM deal, and the Dodgers “feel like there’s some real upside we can tap into,” Friedman said.  “He’s got really strong ingredients in place, and there are a few different levers we feel like we can potentially pull with him that he’s bought into and is eager to dive in on.”  After a rough 2021 season, Heaney is hoping to rebound in Los Angeles and then re-enter the free agent market on the strength of a much better platform year.  This one-year commitment is just fine with Friedman, as he noted that adding a veteran as rotation depth allows the Dodgers’ pitching prospects more seasoning time in the minors.
  • Friedman also provided on some of the Dodgers’ Tommy John recovery cases.  Tommy Kahnle and Caleb Ferguson respectively underwent their procedures in August 2020 and September 2020, and the PBO said both hurlers should “be ready by Opening Day or shortly thereafter.” Dustin May underwent his TJ surgery almost exactly six months ago and has already started a throwing program, tentatively setting up a return after the All-Star Game.  “Everything to this point has been incredibly positive.  I think [May] is going to impact us at some point in the second half,” Friedman said.
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Los Angeles Dodgers Notes Andrew Friedman Andrew Heaney Caleb Ferguson Dave Roberts Dustin May Mookie Betts Tommy Kahnle

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Dodgers Sign Andrew Heaney

By Anthony Franco | November 10, 2021 at 6:39pm CDT

Andrew Heaney is headed back to Southern California, as the Dodgers announced on Wednesday that they’d signed the southpaw to a one-year contract that’ll reportedly pay him $8.5MM. Heaney is a client of Icon Sports Management.

It’s the first major significant free agent strike of the offseason, as Heaney checked in 50th on MLBTR’s just-released free agent rankings. His reported contract terms land a couple million dollars north of MLBTR’s projected $6MM guarantee. The southpaw split the 2021 campaign between the Angels and the Yankees, who acquired him at the trade deadline for a pair of pitching prospects.

The past few seasons haven’t been smooth for Heaney, as he’s posted an ERA of 4.46 or higher every year since 2018. The 2021 campaign was especially challenging, as the 30-year-old managed just a 5.83 ERA over 129 2/3 frames. He struggled at both stops, posting a 5.27 mark in Orange County and putting up a ghastly 7.32 figure in pinstripes. Those issues in the Bronx became significant enough for the Yankees to transition him into a bullpen role and eventually outright him off the 40-man roster just before the end of the season.

Needless to say, Heaney hasn’t gotten the results he or his teams have desired in recent seasons. His poor run prevention totals are essentially attributable to what happens after batters make contact, though. Heaney fanned 26.9% of opposing hitters this past season, a mark that checks in more than four percentage points above the league average for starters. (His strikeout rate during his time as a starting pitcher was an even more impressive 27.5%). That was supported by a 12.5% swinging strike rate that’s more than a tick above average, while his 7.3% walk percentage was very slightly lower than the league mark. It’s no surprise, then, that Heaney put up a 3.84 SIERA that’s nearly two full runs lower than his ERA.

That kind of line is nothing new for Heaney, who has managed strikeout and walk numbers befitting a mid-rotation arm for the past few seasons. In each of the last four years, his SIERA has hovered between 3.74 and 4.08. Given that SIERA has proven more predictive of a pitcher’s future ERA than even past ERA itself, it’s easy to see why the Dodgers are willing to roll the dice in hopes of forthcoming positive regression. They’re not alone in their optimism, as Mark Feinsand of MLB.com relays that Heaney drew interest from twelve-plus teams during his extremely brief stay on the open market.

That said, the Dodgers aren’t acting without risk. Heaney’s bottom line ERA has exceeded his SIERA in each of the past four campaigns, largely due to consistent issues keeping the ball in the yard. Heaney has allowed home runs at a higher-than-average clip in three of the past four years, and he was among the game’s most homer-prone arms this past season. The former first-round pick allowed 2.01 HR per nine innings in 2021, a rate eclipsed by just five other hurlers (minimum 100 IP). That’s an untenable mark no matter how good a pitcher’s strikeout and walk rates are, so Heaney and the Dodgers’ coaching staff will have to formulate a plan to better avoid the longball in 2022.

While Heaney finished this year in the Yankees’ bullpen, he seems likely to get a crack in the Los Angeles rotation to open next season. Jason Martinez of Roster Resource projects he’ll be joined by Walker Buehler, Tony Gonsolin, Julio Urías and David Price at the moment, and there’s certainly the possibility for future additions. Heaney’s reported deal pushes the Dodgers’ projected payroll to $206MM, about $40MM shy of the figure the club carried into 2021, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Should they desire, the Dodgers likely still have the resources to pursue a reunion with star free agents Max Scherzer and/or Clayton Kershaw.

As for Heaney, he returns to an area of the country in which he’s spent most of the past seven years. It’ll technically be his second stint as a Dodger, as Heaney was a member of the organization for a few hours between trades during the 2014 Winter Meetings (a tenure highlighted by a tongue-in-cheek tweet thanking the club for their “good run” together). If his results converge with his more promising underlying numbers in 2022, he’d hit next offseason’s free agent market with a good chance at landing a much stronger multi-year deal. In the intervening season, he’ll try to help the Dodgers to their tenth straight playoff appearance and third consecutive trip to the NL Championship Series.

Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic first reported that Heaney and the Dodgers were in agreement on a one-year deal worth north of $8MM. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported Heaney’s salary at $8.5MM.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

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Los Angeles Dodgers Newsstand Transactions Andrew Heaney

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    Recent

    Braves Activate Eddie Rosario, Tyler Matzek

    Giants To Promote David Villar

    Cubs Activate Seiya Suzuki, Option Narciso Crook

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    Read The Transcript Of Today’s Fantasy Baseball Chat With Brad Johnson

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    Braves Trade Touki Toussaint To Angels For Cash Considerations

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