Cardinals Rumors: St. Louis interested in Andrew Heaney

The St. Louis Cardinals are interested in free-agent pitcher Andrew Heaney, and a deal could happen soon.

Free agency hasn’t even started yet — the quiet period ends at 5pm on Sunday – and we have our first St. Louis Cardinals rumor. And it’s worth keeping an eye on, considering the market is already active.

The Cardinals are among the teams interested in left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, who says the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals are other teams involved. Sherman added that a deal could happen soon, with teams looking for their next Robbie Ray.

It’s curious that teams view Heaney as the next Ray, or a candidate to be that type of player. He showed plenty of talent with the Angels, but was bad enough with the New York Yankees that he was voted their least valuable player in 2021. But his strikeout rate of 27 percent is surely going to appeal to teams and what gives them optimism he can turn his career around.

This is where the Cardinals come into play, and why they make sense as a suitor for Heaney. They play in a pitchers park – he allowed 29 in 129.2 innings last season – and putting him in that environment behind an elite defense could be what allows him to unlock the potential that both the Angels and Yankees have seen in Heaney.

What could a deal look like? Heaney is likely going to land a deal worth less than the $8 million that Ray commanded last season, though if he has a long list of suitors and signs quickly, it means some team made an offer too good to refuse. And if that’s the case, perhaps it becomes too expensive for the Cardinals, though the fit makes a lot of sense for both player and team.

Stay tuned. There is a chance that a deal comes together quickly. Welcome to free agency.