![\"Braves](\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/t_share\/MjE0NDk5NDMxNzE2NzU4NTUx\/andrew-heaney.jpg\")
<\/p>\nRemember when the Atlanta Braves started 0-7 and appeared headed for their worst season in nearly a decade? We remember, even as the Braves do their best to make us forget.<\/p>\n
Atlanta entered Sunday an impressive 12-7 in their last 19, clawing their way back up the NL East standings.<\/p>\n
Although the Braves trail the New York Mets by 6.5 games, Brian Snitker’s club is nonetheless fighting to ensure an eighth consecutive playoff berth.<\/p>\n
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Assuming the Braves plan on buying at the trade deadline, could they bring Pittsburgh Pirates lefty Andrew Heaney to Atlanta? Heaney, who turns 34 in June, checks plenty of boxes for the Braves.<\/p>\n
Just Baseball’s Eric Treuden recently pointed out that Heaney is a veteran innings-eater on a cheap one-year, $5.25 million contract. “He’s not going to cost the farm, but the Braves may need to pony up and bring him in before they fall too far in the standings,” Treuden wrote.<\/p>\n
Heaney entered Sunday at 2-1 with a 1.72 ERA and 31-6 K-BB ratio over 31.1 innings. He’s already tallied 1.3 bWAR, his highest since a 2.0 mark with the 2018 Los Angeles Angels. Perhaps most impressively, Heaney only allowed a single home run over his first five starts.<\/p>\n
The 2012 No. 9 pick averaged 22 homers the past four seasons.<\/p>\n
Heaney does not move the needle like Miami Marlins star Sandy Alc\u00e1ntara or St. Louis Cardinals veteran Sonny Gray could, assuming either is available.<\/p>\n
Heaney is still a career 53-63 pitcher with a 4.37 ERA, and he’s on his fourth team in five seasons for good reason.<\/p>\n
However, the Braves need rotation help, and their 4.37 club ERA ranks 23rd. Heaney makes more sense than Braves fans may initially think-and it still wouldn’t keep the club from pursuing Alc\u00e1ntara, Gray, or San Diego Padres star Dylan Cease down the line.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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