Perrotto: Who’s on First Not Comedy Bit for Pirates

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates’ disappointing offseason came to a fitting end.

It was revealed late Tuesday night that first baseman Spencer Horwitz won’t be ready for drills when the Pirates hold their first full-squad workout later this week at the Pirate City facility. Pitchers and catchers start working out Wednesday morning.

Horwitz underwent surgery on his right wrist.

Horwitz was the Pirates’ biggest acquisition of the winter – which tells you something about the Pirates’ winter. General Manager Ben Cherington traded three pitchers, including right-hander Luis L. Ortiz, to the Cleveland Guardians in December to acquire Horwitz via the Toronto Blue Jays in a three-team trade.

The 27-year-old Horwitz has compiled a .355 on-base percentage in 425 major-league plate appearances, making him attractive to a team with a .301 OBP last year.

Sources told Pittsburgh Baseball Now that the Pirates are hopeful Horwitz can be ready to play in the season opener on March 27 against the Marlins in Miami but are not 100% sure. Beyond that, details about how Horwitz was injured and when he had surgery are sketchy.

The Pirates were hoping Horwitz could bring some long-term stability to first base, a position the Pirates haven’t been adequately able to fill since trading Josh Bell following the 2020 season.
If Horwitz begins the season on the injured list, the Pirates have no clear options at first base.

Rookie right-handed hitter Billy Cook had been seen as a potential short-side platoon partner with Horwitz. The Pirates could possibly go with Cook as their primary first baseman while Horwitz recovers.

The Pirates planned to try left fielder Bryan Reynolds at first base this spring, but those plans were scuttled with the acquisition of Horwitz.

The Pirates are already short on quality outfielders, not filling their hole in right field until signing veteran Tommy Pham last week as a free agent. Thus, the Pirates would be wise to leave Reynolds in left field rather than opening another hole.

Another in-house possibility is Jared Triolo, the National League Gold Glove winner last season as a utility player. However, Triolo doesn’t hit with the power traditionally associated with a first baseman.

Catcher Endy Rodriguez made two one-inning appearances at first base for the Pirates in 2023 as a rookie and has also played the position 43 times in the minor leagues.

Darick Hall will be in major-league camp as a non-roster invitee. He hit nine home runs in 41 games for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022 as a rookie but spent all last season at Triple-A.

It seems doubtful the Pirates would spend much on a potential free agent when they were thrifty throughout the offseason. Pham was their most expensive acquisition with a one-year, $4-million contract.

The free-agent first baseman market is thin if the Pirates look for a short-term fix.

Justin Turner is the best option left, and he is 40. Last season, Turner hit .259/.354/.383 combined with 11 home runs in 139 games with the Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners.

Mark Canha, 35, batted a combined .242/.344/.346 with seven homers in 125 games with the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants last season.

Anthony Rizzo has the pedigree of being a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner. However, the 35-year-old hit just .228/.301/.335 with eight homers last season with the New York Yankees in 92 games.

The Pirates could try a longshot gamble on Jose Abreu. The 2020 American League MVP figures to come cheap after a disastrous 2024 when he had a .124/.167/.195 slash line with two homers in 35 games with the Houston Astros.

Or the Pirates could always turn back to Rowdy Tellez, who they released during the final week of last season when he was four appearances away from a $200,000 performance bonus.

I’m not sure how much Tellez could help but a reunion would make for some good early-spring training theatre.