In a move that I don’t think any Pirates fan saw coming, the Pirates have selected the contract of a reliever you probably remember, but not for a good reason.
Pittsburgh has selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Ben Heller from Triple-A Indianapolis for a second time this season.
Colin Holderman, who has gone through the worst few weeks of his baseball career, has mercifully been placed on the 15-Day Injured List, something that probably should have happened before he was charged for two more losses.
To make room for him on the 40-man roster, the Pirates designated outfielder Edward Olivares for assignment. Olivares, who was optioned to Indy in early July.
Heller, meanwhile, is having his contract selected for the second time this season. Having signed a minor league deal with the Pirates organization in the winter, Heller had his contract added to the roster on June 4th, after he had some iffy stat lines but terrific underlying numbers, including whiff rates that would have led the major leagues.
What also drove the front office to call him up was the threat of another team poaching him. Heller had an opt-out clause in his contract, and the Pirates were aware that if they did not give him a shot, Heller was likely to leave and chase a major league opportunity elsewhere.
Unfortunately for Heller, and the Pirates, he got absolutely lit up once he arrived in Pittsburgh. In his Pirates debut, Heller pitched 1.0 innings and surrendered 4 hits, 5 earned runs, and a homer as Pittsburgh’s game against the LA Dodgers really got out of hand. His ERA sat at 45.00 after that game.
Three days later, Heller appeared in the tenth inning in an extra innings affair vs the Minnesota Twins. Needing to keep the game competitive, Heller was once again annihilated, giving up 7 hits, 6 earned runs, and plunking 3 guys. In case you were wondering, the Pirates lost that game in extras.
It was almost incredible how a guy with an ERA of 45.00 entering that game somehow had his ERA get even higher, and that seemed to be the end of Heller in Pittsburgh. He was designated for assignment after that game, and went unclaimed on waivers. That team that was willing to give him a shot at the major leagues pulled back after his Pirates performance.
The recently-turned 33-year old was assigned back to Triple-A with the Indianapolis Indians, and to his credit he has since put together a nice rebound. I did a check in on Heller about a month ago, but things have improved even more so for him as of late.
In 14.2 innings with the Indians since his demotion, Heller has surrendered a total of 3 earned runs for a 1.84 ERA. Opponents are batting .102 against him and have an OPS under .400. Those are some really good numbers.
Heller also has recorded 21 strikeouts to just 5 walks and 2 batters he hit. He’s recorded 4 saves for Indianapolis as the Pirates’ top farm team has had to restructure their bullpen to account for the loss of Brent Honeywell, who served as the team’s closer before he was promoted, then subsequently lost on waivers.
All in all, Heller’s numbers give the impression of someone deserving of a call up. The only problem is his name. Fans will assuredly remember his two god awful performances and wonder why the front office would ever have him suit up in black and yellow again.
It will be up to him and him alone to change that narrative.
For what it’s worth, Heller’s career in both the major and minor leagues suggests that he’s a much better pitcher than what he showed in Pittsburgh the first time. But until he actually proves that, it will be hard to believe.
It will be quite interesting to see how the Pirates use Heller once he gets here, and how he performs in a second go around with the club.
On a personal level, I’m shocked he was even considered to be selected again, but I hope it’s the start of a redemption story for him.
Fifth Avenue Sports 
Leave a comment