For the first time in 2025, an MLB team has fired its manager. The Pittsburgh Pirates gave Derek Shelton his walking papers on Thursday afternoon, after his team slumped to a 12-26 record to begin the season. Shelton’s time in Pittsburgh turned out to be a rough one as he went 306-440 with a .410 winning percentage over six seasons.
But while the Pirates are trying to figure out how to get out of the cellar of the National League Central, the buzzards are circling around their roster.
If we’re rolling with that metaphor, those buzzards should be wearing Boston Red Sox caps. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said he fired Shelton to “fix this now,” but it’s a tall climb for a team that’s currently 10 games back of the Chicago Cubs for first place in the National League Central and 10 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the final wild card spot.
Even if the Pirates respond to new manager Don Kelly, it might not be enough to save them from being sellers at the deadline. That creates an opportunity for the Red Sox to pounce and upgrade one of their biggest weaknesses.
Red Sox Should Target Andrew Heaney if Pirates Sell After Firing Derek Shelton
It didn’t seem like the Red Sox rotation would need help after the offseason additions of Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler, but that’s where they are after the first six weeks of the season. Crochet has done his part, going 3-2 with a 2.02 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 49 innings. But the rest of the rotation has been a disappointment, ranking 15th with a 3.95 ERA after Thursday’s 5-0 win over the Texas Rangers.
Part of the issue has been injuries, and Brayan Bello has been solid, going 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA in 17.2 innings since his return from a shoulder injury. But Kutter Crawford won’t return from a knee injury until June at the earliest, and Lucas Giolito (8.38 ERA) has gotten shelled since returning from elbow and hamstring injuries.
That should have the Red Sox looking for pitching at the deadline, and a name to remember is Andrew Heaney. The left-hander is off to a strong start with the Pirates, going 2-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 39.2 innings this season, and he’s been a decent starter with a 3.92 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 89 appearances (80 starts) dating back to the 2022 season.
There are some things to beware with Heaney. His fastball velocity is down from 91.6 mph last season to 89.9 mph this season according to Baseball Savant. He also allows hard contact as 37.2% hard contact rate (hits with exit velocity of 95 mph or higher) is in the 69th percentile. But he still has posted a 31.6% chase rate this season and posted a career-low 5.9% walk rate with the Angels in 2024.
Perhaps the best part about Heaney is that it’s a target Boston can earmark for later. Pittsburgh will make an attempt to get out of their early-season hole after firing Shelton, and Boston can wait and see if Giolito turns it around or if Crawford can return on his current timetable. If neither happens and the Pirates keep losing, it would be worth the call to make a deal and strengthen their rotation ahead of the trade deadline.