Bucs make deal for Toronto first baseman

FILE – Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Luis Ortiz delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewer, Sept. 25, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed, File)

From Mirror, wire reports

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired first baseman Spencer Horwitz late Tuesday night from the Cleveland Guardians.

Horwitz was acquired earlier in the day at the winter meetings in Dallas by Cleveland from the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Guardians will receive right-handed pitcher Luis Ortiz in exchange from the Pirates, along with minor league left-handed pitchers Josh Hartle and Michael Kennedy.

The 27-year-old Horwitz finished first among all qualifed MLB rookies in on-base percentage (.357), fourth in OPS (.790), sixth in batting average (.265), and eighth in slugging percentage (.433) while playing in 97 games with Toronto in 2024.

“Spencer has been a consistently strong offensive performer throughout his pro career, including his first extended Major League experience this (past) season,” Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington said.

“As a left-handed hitting first baseman with on-base skill, we believe he’s a strong fit for our lineup and team.”

Horwitz began the 2024 season with Triple-A Buffalo, where he ranked second in the International League in on-base percentage (.456), tied for third in batting average (.335), fourth in walks (44), and seventh in OPS (.970) at the time he was recalled on June 7.

He reached base safely in each of his first 17 starts of 2024 with Toronto from June 8 to July 2, matching Bo Bichette (2019) for the longest streak to start a season by a rookie in club history. He also saw 10-plus pitches in seven plate appearances this past season with Toronto, which was tied for the fifth-most in MLB.

Horwitz was voted the International League’s Best Defensive Infielder by league managers in a Baseball America poll in 2023.

He made his big league debut on June 18, 2023, where he became the fourth player in club history with a hit, walk, RBI, and run scored in his MLB debut. Horwitz was selected by Toronto in the 24th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Radford University.

Ortiz, 25, is coming off his best season in the majors, recording career bests in wins, strikeouts (107), innings pitched (135-plus)ERA and WHIP (1.11). He began 2024 in the bullpen, posting a 2.51 ERA in 20 appearances before joining the rotation in June.

Ortiz pitched six scoreless innings against the Guardians on Aug. 31.

Cleveland didn’t even have time to welcome Horwitz before shipping him to the Pirates for Ortiz, Kennedy and Hartle. Ortiz could slide immediately into a starting slot after going 7-6 with a 3.32 ERA last season.

Kennedy, 20, was selected by the Pirates in the fourth round in 2022. In two seasons as a pro, he’s 4-6 with a 3.25 ERA in 31 games. He split last season between Class A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro.

The 6-foot-5 Hartle was drafted in the third round from Wake Forest. In three seasons with the Demon Deacons, he went 24-11 with a 4.41 ERA. Neither pitcher have played above the Class A level for Pittsburgh. Neither one is projected to reach the Major League level until the 2027 season.

Defensively, Horwitz didn’t make much sense for the Guardians. He can play second base, if needed, but he’s primarily a first baseman. And unless the Guardians were set on moving Josh Naylor this winter, Horwitz didn’t have a perfect fit on this roster at first base, so he was used to fill another need.