Spencer Horwitz was getting ready to watch “Gladiator II” with his girlfriend last week when his phone buzzed.
By the time the movie — which lasted 2 hours and 28 minutes — was finished, Horwitz had been traded. Twice.
First, he was sent from Toronto to Cleveland in a trade that brought Gold Glove second baseman Andrés Giménez to the Blue Jays. About an hour later, Cleveland traded him again, this time to Pittsburgh in exchange for three pitchers.
Horwitz was actually a little entertained by the situation. He was also relieved.
While Horwitz was “ecstatic” when he found out he was going to the reigning AL Central champions, he was also a bit 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, third or kind of what the plan was.” It turns out, none of that happened.
The Pirates, who have struggled to find stability at first base since trading Josh Bell to Washington in December 2020, are now offering Horwitz a chance to settle into the position. The team has used four different opening day first basemen in the past four years: Colin Moran, Yoshi Tsutsugo, Carlos Santana, and Rowdy Tellez.
Horwitz, who is under contract with the team until the end of the decade, will get a chance to bring some stability to the Pirates, who believe they are ready to compete thanks to a strong starting rotation led by NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes.
“I mean the pitching everyone talks about and how unbelievable it is,” Horwitz said. “And facing the Pirates in the minor leagues, I felt it firsthand. They all throw hard. They all throw inside. They all have really hard offspeed. So I’m glad they’re going to be my team.”
The 27-year-old Horwitz batted .265 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs in 97 games for Toronto last season. While he knows that at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, he doesn’t fit the mold of a traditional power hitter for a position known for power, Horwitz believes he doesn’t need to hit 30-40 home runs a year to be effective at the plate.
“I think I bring a quality at-bat and can work counts and can do damage,” he said. “Damage isn’t just home runs, that’s what I’ve learned. It can come in doubles. It can come in triples. I’m not a burner that might get a lot of triples, but they’ll 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 many major offensive categories. This led to an overhaul that included hiring Matt Hague as hitting coach last month. Horwitz and Hague worked together extensively when both were with the Blue Jays.
“He’s been tremendous in my career,” Horwitz said of Hague. “And I know I wouldn’t be here without him. So I know he’s going to bring great things, not just for me, but for the entire organization.”
It’s unclear exactly where Horwitz might fit into the Pirates’ lineup, which will likely be led by left fielder Bryan Reynolds and shortstop Oneil Cruz. Since Horwitz is good at getting on base, he could fit well as a leadoff hitter, but he could also play a role in the middle of the order.
Horwitz doesn’t mind where he bats, though. He understands that not many 24th-round draft picks make it to the majors, especially since the amateur draft now only goes 20 rounds. He remembers being an undersized prospect “doing everything I could to get noticed.”
It worked, but now Horwitz knows that the real work is just beginning.
“I’m definitely proud of where I’ve gotten to, but I wouldn’t say I’m satisfied,” he said. “I obviously have a lot more I want to accomplish in this game, and hopefully I can do that in the black and gold.”
