LOS ANGELES – With the calendar flipping to September and the postseason picture coming into sharper focus, the Los Angeles Dodgers made a low-risk, potentially savvy move by signing veteran left-hander Andrew Heaney to a minor-league deal. First reported by Jon Heyman, the deal was finalized just in time to make Heaney eligible for the playoffs.
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Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Andrew Heaney (45) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field.
At first glance, the signing may seem like a footnote — a minor-league deal for a 34-year-old who was designated for assignment and released by the Pirates just last week. But for the Dodgers, who are no strangers to creative roster engineering in the final month, Heaney’s return could offer real upside.
Heaney’s 2024 season has been a tale of two halves. With Pittsburgh, he posted a respectable 3.33 ERA over his first 14 starts. But since June 19, everything came apart: a 9.21 ERA, a demotion to the bullpen, and eventually a pink slip.
Still, there’s a reason the Dodgers took the flier.
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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Andrew Heaney (28) throws against the St. Louis Cardinals during the second inning at Dodger Stadium.
Heaney isn’t an unfamiliar face in Los Angeles. He spent the 2022 season in Dodger Blue, putting up a 3.10 ERA and striking out 110 in 72.2 innings. He even pitched in October that year, appearing in relief during the NLDS. Then came his 2023 postseason run with Texas, capped by a win in Game 4 of the World Series. He’s proven he can rise to the moment — something not every depth option can claim.
This signing isn’t about fixing a broken rotation. The Dodgers aren’t in desperation mode. Their pitching staff has held together well, and they’re comfortably headed toward another playoff berth. But 162 games wear down even the deepest staffs, and having an experienced, playoff-tested lefty waiting in the wings isn’t the worst insurance policy to have.
In a month where playoff eligibility deadlines matter, and the injury bug never fully disappears, Heaney is a move that makes sense. He knows the organization. He knows the moment. And if the Dodgers get anything close to the early-2024 or 2022 version of Heaney, they’ll be more than happy with the reunion.
For now, he’s a depth piece. But in October, depth can turn into difference.