Yankees acquire lefty Heaney from Angels
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The Yankees added a versatile arm to their pitching staff before Friday's 4 p.m. ET Trade Deadline, acquiring left-hander Andrew Heaney and cash considerations from the Angels in exchange for Minor League right-handers Janson Junk and Elvis Peguero.
Heaney has pitched to a 6-7 record with a 5.27 ERA for the Angels this season, permitting 92 hits and 31 walks across 94 innings, with 113 strikeouts. Heaney has allowed three runs or fewer in 11 of his 18 starts.
The Yankees expect Heaney to join a rotation that -- at present -- features right-hander Gerrit Cole, left-hander Jordan Montgomery, right-hander Jameson Taillon, right-hander Domingo Germán and left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr.
“We’re very glad to add a pitcher of his caliber that certainly provides some depth,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “At this time of year, with only one Trade Deadline, you’ve got to make sure you’re covered. The old adage is, you can never have enough pitching.”
Over eight Major League seasons with the Marlins (2014) and Angels (2015-21), Heaney has compiled a 30-36 record with a 4.57 ERA in 109 games (107 starts). Heaney picked up his first big league win against the Yankees on June 30, 2015.
The 25-year-old Junk is the Yankees’ No. 27 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He was a 22nd-round Draft pick in 2017, and he has pitched to a 4-1 record and a 1.78 ERA in 14 games (12 starts) this season for Double-A Somerset.
Peguero, 24, has gone a combined 4-1 with a 2.23 ERA in 21 relief appearances for High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset this year.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that, though the club expects right-handers Corey Kluber and Luis Severino to return from the injury list, Heaney made for an appealing insurance policy.
“There's no guarantee of who's going to be standing by the time it's said and done,” Cashman said. “So we're just adding to that list of choices. Everything's important the rest of the way. We felt like if the cost of acquisition was tolerable, then it was in our best interest to do so.”