The MLB season has not hit its midpoint yet, and it already appears that the Pittsburgh Pirates are out of contention. Again. Entering Monday, the Pirates sport a 31-48 record and are in last place in the National League Central, 16 games back of the first place Chicago Cubs.
With the team in wait ‘till next year mode (bet365 Sportsbook PA gives the Bucs odds of +50000 to win the division), the Pirates are likely to be sellers before the July 31 trade deadline. One player that may be available is starting pitcher Andrew Heaney, whom the club signed as a free agent in February.
PennStakes.com has set odds on whether the journeyman veteran will be dealt and which team may acquire the 34-year-old lefty, who won a World Series ring with the Texas Rangers in 2023. These odds are for infotainment purposes only. You will not find them at any licensed Pennsylvania sports betting operator, such as bet365.
| Outcome | Odds | Percent Chance |
| Stay with Pittsburgh Pirates | -150 | 60.0% |
| Houston Astros | +700 | 12.5% |
| Chicago Cubs | +1000 | 9.1% |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +1750 | 5.4% |
| San Francisco Giants | +3250 | 3.0% |
| The Field | +900 | 10.0% |
Disclaimer: These odds were developed by and are exclusive to PennStakes.com, but regulated operators offering top PA sportsbook promos will offer wagers on each MLB game, plus futures betting and more.
Forecasting baseball trades isn’t the easiest of ventures. A lot can change over the next month as teams move into (or drift out of) postseason contention. Also, a team not listed above may end up needing a pitcher if one of their starters – particularly a southpaw – suffers an injury in the next few weeks.
For now, should Pittsburgh deal Heaney, we project the Houston Astros as the favorite to land him. The Astros lead the American League West by five games over Seattle and boast a very respectable 3.52 team earned run average. Oddsmakers at DraftKings list Houston as their sixth choice on the World Series futures market with odds of +1100.
However, the rotation is suspect outside of Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez. A pitcher like Heaney, who has six appearances and three starts in the postseason could provide the Astros with a bona fide third starter.
Heaney is in his 12th season and with his seventh club as a Major League pitcher. He has a 54-68 record with a 4.42 ERA and 1.259 WHIP for his career. He’s also averaged better than a strikeout (1,131 Ks) per inning (1,096-2/3 IP), but he has just 61 in 82-1/3 innings this season with Fangraphs.com showing his velocity down this season compared to the previous two.
This season, Heaney is 3-6 with a 3.94 ERA and a 1.190 WHIP. The record might be better with more run support. The Pirates have scored just 2.13 runs per game in his starts. The Astros average 4.27 per game.
One potential red flag is that Heaney has seen his ERA jump by more than a run over the past month, from 2.91 to 3.94. He last won on May 21, when the Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-1. Since then, he’s 0-3 in five starts with a 6.08 ERA.
USA Today photo by Rick Osentoski.
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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