Former Texas Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney announced his retirement Sunday, closing the book on a 12-year Major League career and one of the more quietly important pitching tenures in franchise history. While Heaney played for six organizations, his time in Arlington—and his role in the Rangers’ 2023 World Series championship—defines how he will be remembered by Texas fans.
At 34, Heaney chose to step away after a difficult 2025 season split between the Pirates and Dodgers. In a heartfelt statement, he cited family, perspective and a desire to give back to his community as the reasons behind his decision. The timing makes sense, but the impact still lingers for a Rangers team whose first championship run relied heavily on pitchers like Heaney embracing uncomfortable roles.
A Steady Arm During A Historic Season
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The Rangers signed Heaney to a two-year deal ahead of the 2023 season, looking for stability rather than star power. He delivered exactly that. Heaney made 28 starts during the regular season, added six relief appearances and handled frequent role changes without complaint.
Texas leaned on that flexibility once October arrived. Injuries and matchup needs forced the Rangers to shuffle their pitching staff throughout the postseason, and Heaney became one of Bruce Bochy’s most trusted options. He started games, worked out of the bullpen and stayed ready regardless of assignment.
His signature moment came in Game 4 of the World Series against Arizona. With the Rangers one win away from a title, Heaney took the ball and held the Diamondbacks to one run over five innings. He earned the win that pushed Texas to the brink of its first championship, a performance that now lives alongside the most important pitching outings in franchise history.
Built On Perseverance, Not Accolades
Heaney’s career followed a winding path long before his arrival in Texas. The Miami Marlins selected him ninth overall in the 2012 draft out of Oklahoma State, and he reached the majors quickly. Trades soon followed. The Dodgers acquired him in a seven-player deal after the 2014 season, then flipped him to the Angels the same day in a rare Los Angeles-to-Los Angeles swap.
In Anaheim, injuries and home run issues prevented a true breakout, even as Heaney flashed swing-and-miss stuff. He spent seven seasons with the Angels, then finished 2021 with the Yankees before a rebound year with the Dodgers in 2022. That resurgence convinced the Rangers to bring him closer to home, a move that paid off in unexpected ways.
Across two seasons in Texas, Heaney logged 307 innings with a 4.22 ERA and stayed relatively healthy. Those innings mattered. He absorbed starts when the rotation needed length and took the ball in relief when the bullpen needed help. In a postseason defined by depth and adaptability, Heaney embodied both.
Heaney’s final season in 2025 signaled the end. Struggles in Pittsburgh led to a release in August, and a brief September return to Los Angeles produced only one appearance. Rather than chase another opportunity or reinvent himself in the bullpen, Heaney chose closure.
He retires with a 56–72 record, a 4.57 career ERA and more than 1,100 innings pitched. Those numbers tell only part of the story. Heaney never made an All-Star team and never chased individual honors, but championship teams often depend on pitchers exactly like him.
For the Rangers, Andrew Heaney’s legacy centers on trust, adaptability and one October night in 2023 when everything clicked. In a franchise defined by that championship run, his contribution remains permanent.
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