How Does Pirates’ Trade for Horwitz Compare to Other Deals?

The first basemen market, both in free agency and through trades this offseason, is on fire.

It seems like just about every team across the league who had a need at first base is looking to do some last minute Christmas shopping to land one.

Christian Walker is joining the Astros on a three-year deal. Paul Goldschmidt is headed to the Bronx to play for the Yankees. Carlos Santana is staying in the American League Central, switching from the Twins to another stint in Cleveland.

There have also been a handful of trades involving first basemen, and the Pittsburgh Pirates got the ball rolling.

At the Winter Meetings earlier this month, the Pirates acquired Spencer Horwitz from the Guardians after he was dealt there from the Blue Jays earlier in the day. The cost to land him wasn’t cheap. The Pirates parted with right-hander Luis Ortiz and a pair of left-handed pitching prospects to make the deal happen.

The 27-year-old doesn’t have an extensive track record in the big leagues but has performed well. In 112 career big-league games, Horwitz carries a .265/.357/.433 slash with 21 doubles, 13 home runs and 47 RBIs.

Part of the appeal to the Pirates, perhaps more so than his performance, was his contractual control at a low price. He won’t be arbitration-eligible until 2027 and the Pirates have control over him through 2030.

Over the weekend, there were two other trades involving notable first basemen.

Shortly before agreeing to a deal with Santana, the Guardians dealt 2024 All-Star Josh Naylor to the Diamondbacks for right-hander Slade Cecconi and a compensation round pick.

Though Naylor’s batting average dipped to .243 this past season, he posted a .776 OPS and set career-highs with 31 home runs and 108 RBIs. The 27-year-old has been one of the better offensive first basemen in the American League over the past season.

Cecconi, the 33rd pick in the 2018 draft, scuffled to a 6.66 ERA in 20 appearances/13 starts in his second big-league season in 2024.

In Naylor, the Diamondbacks are getting a rental. He’s projected to earn $12 million in his final year of arbitration and will be a free agent next offseason.

Additionally, the Rangers dealt Nathaniel Lowe to Nationals for left-handed reliever Robert Garcia. Lowe helped guide Texas to a 2023 World Series title and slashed .265/.361/.401 with 16 home runs and 69 RBIs in 2024.

Garcia, despite an unspectacular 4.22 ERA in 72 relief appearances this year, looks promising. Despite a fairly-inflated ERA, he had a 2.38 FIP and struck out 75 batters against 16 walks in 59.2 innings in his first full season with Washington.

But getting Lowe, who is has two more years before he becomes a free agent, for a 28-year-old reliever seems like excellent value for the Nationals. The Diamondbacks seemingly did well too, replacing Walker with a quality left-handed bat for a pitcher looking to find his footing in the majors and a draft pick after the second round.

It begs the question, did the Pirates make the right choice in giving up Ortiz and two of their top 30 prospects for Horwtiz — a largely unproven player but one who could be around for the long-haul? Or would they have been better off getting Naylor or Lowe for what seems like less to give up but for a more expensive player with less contractual control?

Given the needs on the roster and their hesitation to spend significant dollars in free agency, they probably made the right choice. But in a perfect world, Naylor or Lowe might look better in a Pirates’ uniform as more of a sure thing than Horwitz.

But the money the saved in getting Horwitz needs to be spent on outfield and bullpen help.