Big Pirates Trade: Bucs Land First Baseman for Luis Ortiz, Prospects

The Pittsburgh Pirates have found their first baseman at the 2024 Winter Meetings.

The Pirates are acquiring Spencer Horwitz from the Cleveland Guardians, a source confirmed to Pittsburgh Baseball Now. Horowitz s being flipped to the Pirates by the Guardians after Cleveland acquired him from the Toronto Blue Jays earlier in the day on Tuesday.

The price to acquire Horwitz from the Guardians was a steep one. The Pirates are sending right-hander Luis Ortiz as well as left-handed pitching prospects Michael Kennedy and Josh Hartle to Cleveland.

Horwitz, 27, made his MLB debut in 2023 and logged 97 games for the Blue Jays this past season. On the year, the left-handed hitting Horwitz slashed .265/.357/.433 with 19 doubles, 12 home runs and 40 RBIs.

While his big-league track record is small, Horwitz has been a strong performer in the minor leagues after he was drafted in the 24th round in the 2019 draft. Across five minor-league seasons, he’s slashed .307/.413/.471 with 134 doubles, six triples, 42 home runs and 279 RBIs in 448 games.

Though he figures to fill a void at first base in Pittsburgh, Horwitz gives the Pirates versatility as he also has experience at both second base and in left field as a professional.

The Pirates will have Horwitz under contract through the 2029 season.

The headliner on his way to Cleveland is Ortiz, who emerged as a steady contributor to the Pirates’ rotation in 2024 after initially starting in the bullpen. The 25-year-old finished this season at 7-6 with a 3.32 ERA across 37 appearances, 15 of which were starts.

The Pirates had the luxury of being able to deal from strong depth in the starting rotation. Without Ortiz’s services, the Pirates still have Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Jared Jones, Bailey Falter and Johan Oviedo as starting pitching options with varying levels big-league experience.

The Pirates are also have deep starting pitching depth in the minor leagues, which made them comfortable moving a pair of left-handers.

Kennedy, 20, was a fourth-round selection of the Pirates in the 2022 draft. He split his time this past season between Low-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro. Between the two levels, Kennedy went 2-5 with a 3.66 ERA. He struck out 95 batters and walked 19 in 83.2 innings.

Hartle, meanwhile, was just drafted by the Pirates in the third round of the 2024 draft out of Wake Forest. He made one appearance on the season after signing for $850,000.

Kennedy ranked as our No. 13 Pirates’ prospect while Harlte checked in at No. 23.

This trade represents one of the most aggressive moves made by Ben Cherington since he became the Pirates’ general manager. With more work to be done, it could be a sign of a sense of urgency as the Pirates look to reach the postseason for the first time since 2015.