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PITTSBURGH – Spencer Horwitz was going to watch “Gladiator II” with his girlfriend last week when his phone rang.
When the film – with a running time of 2 hours and 28 minutes – was over, the first baseman had been traded.
Twice.
First from Toronto to Cleveland in a deal that sent Gold Glove second baseman Andrés Giménez to the Blue Jays. About an hour later, the Guardians sent Horwitz to Pittsburgh in exchange for three pitchers.
To be honest, Horwitz was somewhat entertained. Also relieved.
While Horwitz was “ecstatic” to hear he was going to the defending AL Central champions, he was also a little confused.
“I know they have some really good first basemen,” he said. “And they had (traded) Giménez and I was curious if I was going to play second or third or whatever the plan was.”
Turns out none of that was the case.
Enter the Pirates, who have had a revolving door at the position since Josh Bell was traded to Washington in December 2020. Pittsburgh has drafted four different Opening Day first basemen in the last four years: Colin Moran, Yoshi Tsutsugo, Carlos Santana and Rowdy Tellez.
Horwitz, who is under team control through the end of the decade, will have the opportunity to provide some stability to a team that believes the window to compete is completely open thanks to a starting rotation led by NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes lend.
“I mean the pitching that everyone talks about and how incredible it is,” Horwitz said. “And when I played against the Pirates in the minor leagues, I felt it firsthand. They all throw hard. They throw everyone in. They all have really hard offspeed. That’s why I’m glad they’ll be my team.”
Horwitz, 27, hit .265 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs in 97 games for Toronto last season. Although he understands that at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, he’s not considered a traditional power hitter at a position that’s considered a power hitter, Horwitz doesn’t think he can turn the ball over 30 to 40 times in a row Must hit the fence year to be effective at the plate.
“I think I bring good hitting quality and can count and do damage,” he said. “Damage isn’t just about home runs, that’s what I learned. It can come in doubles. It can occur three times. I’m not a burner who might get a lot of triples, but they will come.”
Horwitz drew 42 walks last season, and his .357 on-base percentage would have led the Pirates, who finished near the bottom of the National League in most major offensive categories, prompting a revamp that included hiring Matt Hague as their final hitting coach included month. Horwitz and Hague worked together extensively while both were with the Blue Jays.
“He was great in my career,” Horwitz said of Hague. “And I know I wouldn’t be here without him. That’s why I know he’s going to do great things, not just for me but for the entire organization.”
It’s unclear where Horwitz might fit in Pittsburgh’s lineup, which will be anchored by left fielder Bryan Reynolds and shortstop Oneil Cruz. Horwitz’s ability to get on base means he could fit well into the offense, although he could fit in somewhere in the middle.
That doesn’t matter to Horwitz because he understands that not many 24th-round picks ever reach the majors, especially now that the amateur draft is only 20 rounds deep. He remembers being an undersized prospect and “doing everything he could to get noticed.”
It worked, although he now knows the real work is just beginning.
“I’m definitely proud of what I’ve achieved, but I wouldn’t say I’m satisfied,” he said. “Obviously I want to achieve a lot more in this game and hopefully I can do that in black and gold.”
