Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Spencer Horwitz has every right to be excited about his new home.
Horwitz, who spent the last two seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, was traded to the Cleveland Guardians on Dec. 10. It’s not like he was long for Cleveland, however, as he was then shipped off to Pittsburgh, less than two hours after general manager Mike Chernoff gave him the ole, “Hey, we’re excited to have you!”
It’s nothing personal, of course, but things happened to work out for the 27-year-old.
Horwitz is familiar with a number of people within the organization, having played collegiate summer baseball in 2018 with Jared Triolo and Alika Williams and worked under new Pirates hitting coach Matt Hague, who spent the past five years with the Blue Jays.
“When I got traded to Pittsburgh, I was super excited because I know they’ve been looking for some more offense, and, obviously, I get to work with Matt Hague again,” Horwitz said on Wednesday, per TribLive. “He’s been my hitting coach since Double-A, and I work really well with him. I’m excited to hopefully continue that.”
Story continues below advertisement
The Pirates likely will plug the versatile infielder at first base, where he will compete for the starting job.
“It seems like first base is where they want me for now, but we also talked about other positions,” Horwitz said. “We’re not going to lose that (versatility) completely, but, right now, the priority is first base… Just come in ready to compete in camp. Nothing’s going to be given to me. I know that, but it’s nice to feel wanted, and it’s really exciting. I think it’s going to be a good opportunity for us.”
More Pirates: Pirates Catcher Joey Bart Earns Starting Nod To Begin 2025 Season
Featured image via Brett Davis/Imagn Images