The Pittsburgh Pirates made their first major splash of the offseason, trading the Cleveland Guardians for first baseman Spencer Horwitz.
The Pirates added an offensive weapon to their lineup by trading the Guardians for Horwitz. Pittsburgh traded Cleveland RHP Luis Ortiz, LHP Michael Kennedy, and LHP Josh Hartle for the 27-year-old first baseman. Horwitz spent last season with the Toronto Blue Jays, slashing .265/.357/.433 in 97 games with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs before being traded to the Guardians and then the Pirates.
While being interviewed, Pirates manager Derek Shelton expressed how he thought Horwitz was a good pickup for the organization, as transcribed by MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf.
“When we started to get down the road in the process, (Cherington) was able to communicate with Hague on his thoughts on him,” Shelton said. “Got a text from IKF (Isiah Kiner-Falefa), because he played with him, last night about it. Just overall, a good pickup that kind of helps us lengthen our lineup. We came into the offseason saying that we needed to improve our offense, and I think we have.”
Horwitz likely will give the Pirates’ offense a major boost next season. He’s familiar with Pittsburgh’s new batting coach, Matt Hague, and he adds defensive versatility to the roster, having split his time at first and second base with the Blue Jays.
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The Pirates have a great starting rotation, headlined by ace Paul Skenes, and are making strides in improving their offense. Pittsburgh will look to make a few more additions before the new season begins.
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