Pirates make multiple roster moves following the official signing of Andrew Heaney

Adding Andrew Heaney was some big news for the Pittsburgh Pirates this week, but that deal has added some extra noise to make it official. To correspond with the signing, the Pirates have made a roster move.

They designated Brett De Geus for assignment. Now, Heaney is officially on the 40-man and De Geus has a week to get acquired or claimed before getting optioned to Triple-A.

De Geus was not expected to make a huge impact for the Pirates this season, but his departure means a lot for the organization. They have added a lot of minor league free agents over the course of the offseason to increase their pitching depth for 2025.

Luckily they have a ton of depth set for Triple-A this season, so this move does not hurt too bad. He had shown signs of productivity in 2024, but his career had not been great. Last year, with three teams, De Geus posted a 7.15 ERA, 3.78 FIP and 1.59 WHIP. If the Pirates could trade him to someone before he gets claimed, that would be ideal.

Pirates DFA Brett De Geus and release Yerry Rodriguez after Andrew Heaney move

The Pirates also released right handed pitcher Yerry Rodriguez, which is likely due to an elbow injury. There had not been much news surrounding him entering spring training, but once the first injury report came out including his name, fans soon knew the reason why.

Rodriguez brought a big upper 90s fastball to the organization, but he never knew where the pitch would end up. His control was really poor, leading to a walk rate of 12.4% and a 1.80 WHIP. Those concerning numbers led to an 8.72 ERA.

This roster shakeup definitely changes things for multiple pitchers in the organization. The battle in for a spot at Triple-A is a bit less competitive now, and when an injury occurs the Pirates will likely have to designate another player for assignment since there aren't many other players on the 40-man in the Triple-A bullpen.

Either way, this represented a bit of house cleaning on the Pirates' end given how much the Heaney signing will help them. And who knows: if De Geus clears waivers and returns to Triple-A, this might not even be that notable of an issue.