Yankees acquiring LHP Andrew Heaney from Angels, source tells @TheAthletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 30, 2021
Yankees have acquired LHP Andrew Heaney and cash from the Angels for minor leaguers Junk and Peguero.
— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) July 30, 2021
The Yankees have made a move with the clock winding down. They’re getting Andrew Heaney from the Angels. He’s had a rough season in terms of run prevention with a 5.27 ERA in 94 innings. But he does own a 4.05 FIP and solid 28.2 percent strikeout rate vs. a 7.7 percent walk rate. Home runs are a big issue for him.
Heaney, a 30 year-old southpaw, is purely a rental for the Yankees. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end. He’s a natural spin rate guy, meaning, the sticky-stuff ban didn’t affect him. Still, his performance to date is unsightly, even if there are some underlying reasons that might indicate upside:
Eno has some thoughts about new Yankees acquisition Andrew Heaney below. I'll additionally note that his 5.22 ERA reflects the impact of pitching in front of one of MLB's worst defenses; 4.05 FIP and 4.22 xERA offer more hope https://t.co/qJWH3IcOVP
— Jay Jaffe (@jay_jaffe) July 30, 2021
Nonetheless, Heaney is here to soak up innings over the next two months more than anything else. He’s not someone who I’d want to start a playoff game. The Yankees are taking a pretty big chance here by banking on one of Luis Severino and/or Corey Kluber to get healthy (and effective) in time for the postseason. A Gerrit Cole-Severino-Kluber trio is very tantalizing, without a doubt. But it’s also a gamble.
As for the prospect return: the Yankees sent away more Rule 5 eligible minor leaguers in Janson Junk and Elvis Peguero. Not surprising considering what we’ve seen the team do in trades in recent days.
Junk, 25, was the Yankees’ 22nd round pick in 2017 and has been a player development success this season. After being a pretty nondescript org-guy through 2019, Junk is in the midst of a breakout in Double-A this year. In 65.2 innings (14 games, 12 starts), Junk has a 1.78 ERA behind a 68:20 strikeout to walk ratio.
Peguero, 24, a righty who can touch 98 out of the bullpen. He’s spent time with High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset this season, totaling 44.1 innings pitched, 57 strikeouts, 16 walks, and a 2.23 ERA.