New York Yankees: The great Andrew Heaney mistake

Andrew Heaney was supposed to be part of the solution for the New York Yankees. They needed a solid arm for the back of the rotation and Heaney, despite his relatively middling performance, could be considered just that. His cost, a decent prospect in Janson Junk, was more than worth the price.

Instead, Heaney has been an utter disaster. He made five starts for the Yankees before getting sent to the bullpen, his acquisition quickly becoming a disaster. While he had one solid outing, allowing just one run in seven innings against the Red Sox, he just could not be counted on to provide those innings that the Yankees needed.

Andrew Heaney has been a disaster for the New York Yankees

While Heaney disappointed as a starter, he has been an unmitigated disaster in the Yankees’ bullpen. He has allowed eight runs on 11 hits in his 4.1 innings as a reliever, including two homers. Heaney has gotten to the point where he is essentially unable to be used unless the Yankees find themselves in a blowout.

Those struggles have also borne themselves out when it comes to his overall numbers in New York. In just 30.1 innings, he has allowed 11 homers. Opponents have tattooed his offerings to a .965 OPS, as he has essentially turned every hitter into Shohei Ohtani (.964 OPS entering Friday).

This is obviously not what the Yankees signed up for. Although Heaney had a below average ERA+ in his career before heading to New York, he was not nearly this bad of an option. However, there are some players that just cannot handle the pressure of New York, especially in the midst of chasing a postseason berth.

That may well be the case with Heaney. His implosion since being sent to the Yankees has been drastic. It is to the point where the fanbase is openly questioning why he is still a part of this team, as he has done nothing to help their chances of reaching the playoffs. Should the Yankees fall short, he will likely receive the majority of the blame.

Andrew Heaney has not been close to being the pitcher that the New York Yankees had hoped for. At this point, he has been a complete disaster.