Rumor Mill Heating Up With Some Guys You Know

 As the trade deadline inches closer, one thing is practically guaranteed: the New York Yankees will be in the market for pitching. Yes, the starting rotation has been solid for most of the season. But if history is any indication, the front office will still poke around for upgrades — because that’s what contenders do. Depth wins championships, and there’s always that underlying pressure to improve, even if the rotation isn’t currently broken.

That brings us to a name that might trigger a few eye-rolls from Yankee fans: Andrew Heaney.

Yes, that Andrew Heaney — the same one who flopped in his first stint with the Yankees back in 2021. It didn’t go well then, and nobody’s pretending otherwise. But this season? Heaney’s quietly putting together a solid campaign with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and if the Yankees are looking to pad the back end of their rotation without gutting the farm system, he might be worth a second look.

Before you slam your laptop shut in protest, hear this out.

R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports recently highlighted the Pirates as a team likely to be sellers at the deadline. Pittsburgh is still deep in a rebuild, and while speculation swirls around rookie sensation Paul Skenes, Anderson doesn’t expect the Pirates to move him — even if fans of other teams (yes, including the Yankees) would love to see it happen.

Let’s be honest: it feels like Skenes is wasting away in Pittsburgh. He’s a generational arm, and unless the Pirates turn things around quickly, his prime might be spent fighting uphill battles. From a Yankees fan’s perspective, the idea of Skenes in pinstripes is the dream. But it’s just that — a dream, for now.

Instead, Anderson points to more realistic trade chips on Pittsburgh’s roster:

“Impending free agents Andrew Heaney and shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa are logical candidates to go, and it would only make sense to explore the market for relievers David Bednar and Dennis Santana,” he writes. “If the Pirates really want to get bold, how about shopping catcher Joey Bart?”

It’s a practical take. Heaney, now 33, is on a one-year, $5.25 million deal — the kind of contract that makes midseason trades painless. In 11 starts this season, he owns a 3.41 ERA — a noticeable improvement over his career 4.40 mark. He started hot, posting a 1.72 ERA through his first five outings, before leveling out a bit. Still, those are serviceable numbers for a team looking to fortify the back end of the rotation for the stretch run.

Do the Yankees actually revisit the Heaney experiment? Probably not. They’re not typically in the business of retreads that didn’t pan out the first time. But stranger things have happened. And if they view him as a low-cost insurance policy, there’s at least a kernel of logic in the idea.

In the grander picture, this conversation isn’t just about Heaney. It’s about the Yankees’ inevitable deadline posture. The team will explore arms, and depending on how the market shakes out, someone like Heaney — or perhaps a more tantalizing piece like Bednar or even Skenes in some wildly aggressive scenario — could end up in the mix.

So file this away under “Interesting but Unlikely.” Keep an eye on Pittsburgh. Whether it’s a former Yankee like Heaney or a big swing for someone like Skenes (pipe dream or not), the Pirates could end up playing a role in the Yankees’ trade deadline story.

Stay tuned.