{"id":91812,"date":"2024-12-11T01:43:54","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T06:43:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=91812"},"modified":"2024-12-11T02:00:46","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T07:00:46","slug":"pirates-guardians-ortiz-horwitz-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/12\/11\/pirates-guardians-ortiz-horwitz-trade\/","title":{"rendered":"Pirates Swap Starter to Guardians for First Baseman"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates traded starting pitcher <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=ortizlu03,ortizlu01,ortizlu02,ortiz-014lui&amp;search=Luis+Ortiz&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-12-11_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luis Ortiz<\/a> to the Cleveland Guardians for infielder <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/h\/horwisp01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-12-11_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Spencer Horwitz<\/a>. It\u2019s the proverbial good deal for both teams. Cleveland was looking for starting pitching while Horwitz is expected to step in as the Pirates\u2019 first baseman. The Pirates included pitching prospects <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=kenned004mic&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-12-11_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Michael Kennedy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=hartle002jos&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-12-11_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Josh Hartle<\/a> in the deal.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">We have acquired INF <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/h\/horwisp01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-12-11_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Spencer Horwitz<\/a> and OF <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=mitche003nic&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-12-11_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nick Mitchell<\/a> from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for 2B <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gimenan01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-12-11_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Andr\u00e9s Gim\u00e9nez<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Subsequently, we have acquired RHP Luis L. Ortiz, LHP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=hartle002jos&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-12-11_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Josh Hartle<\/a>, and LHP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=kenned004mic&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-12-11_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Michael Kennedy<\/a> from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for INF Spencer Horwitz.\u2026 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/pcJ92e1NhY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/pcJ92e1NhY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CleGuardians\/status\/1866708306917486796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 11, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Pirates Trade Ortiz to Guardians for Horwitz<\/h2>\n<p>Despite the needs of both teams, the deal comes as a surprise because the Guardians had acquired Horwitz in the afternoon from the Toronto Blue Jays for infielder <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gimenan01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-12-11_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Andr\u00e9s Gim\u00e9nez<\/a>. Horwitz wasn\u2019t a Guardian long enough to fill out his W-4 form. If there was any thought that the Horwitz acquisition may have been a precursor to Cleveland trading <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/n\/naylojo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-12-11_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Josh Naylor<\/a>, that notion was washed away by this deal.<\/p>\n<h3>Pirates Get Their First Baseman<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s no surprise that the Pirates would turn to their <a href=\"https:\/\/throughthefencebaseball.com\/pirates-toronto-connection-paying-dividends\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">favorite trade partner<\/a>, the Blue Jays, to fill a need. General manager Ben Cherington was Toronto\u2019s vice president of baseball operations from 2016-19. Manager <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/managers\/sheltde99.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Derek Shelton<\/a> was their quality control coach in 2017. The trade also reunites Horwitz with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/h\/haguema01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-12-11_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matt Hague<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/11\/13\/pirates-hire-matt-hague-hitting-coach\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">hired<\/a> away from the Jays to be the Pirates&#8217; hitting coach last month.<\/p>\n<p>Horwitz, 27, played for Toronto in 2023-24. In 2024, he was used at first base 41 times and second base 39 times. Although no formal declaration has been made as far as how the Pirates intend to use Horwitz, it seems clear that he\u2019ll be in the first base mix rather than being tossed into their crowded middle infield competition. In 112 games with the Jays, the left-handed hitter has hit .264\/.355\/.428, 13 HR, and 47 RBI. In three seasons at Triple-A, he\u2019s hit .316\/.433\/.471, 42 HR, and 279 RBI in 448 games.<\/p>\n<p>This deal is likely to further infuriate a tired fan base that hoped for a bigger name to fill the first base void. However, his OBP suggests a smart, maturing hitter with upside. Furthermore, the fact that the Guardians also requested that the Pirates include two prospects suggests that they viewed Horwitz as having more value than Ortiz.<\/p>\n<h3>Guardians Get a Hard-Throwing Starter<\/h3>\n<p>Ortiz, 25, pitched for the Pirates from 2022-24. For his career, he\u2019s 12-13 with a 3.93 ERA and 1.326 WHIP in 59 games, of which 34 were starts. He showed promise in his rookie year, but after a mysterious drop in velocity in 2023, he entered the 2024 season without a prominent role. That quickly changed when he excelled in relief and injuries created a need for a starter.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, Ortiz came through with flying colors. In 2024, he was 7-6 with a 3.32 ERA and 1.113 WHIP, all career bests. The velocity returned while Ortiz showed improved control. He struck out 19.2 percent of batters faced while walking just 7.6 percent. Opponents hit just .218\/.288\/.372 against him. In spite of his improvement, the Pirates surely viewed him as expendable with several pitching prospects expected to arrive in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Ortiz keeps batters guessing by throwing a four-seamer, slider, sinker, and cutter, all of which he gives almost equal usage. The four-seam fastball averages 95.9 mph as opposed to his 85.8 mph slider. With Cleveland losing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=boydma01,boyd--002mat&amp;search=Matthew+Boyd&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-12-11_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matthew Boyd<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/cobbal01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-12-11_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alex Cobb<\/a> to free agency, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/12\/02\/matthew-boyd-cubs-contract-details\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Boyd to the Chicago Cubs<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/12\/09\/alex-cobb-tigers-one-year-contract\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Cobb to the Detroit Tigers<\/a>, and returning only two starters with ERAs under 4.00, Ortiz could slide into the No. 3 spot in their rotation.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Photo Credit: \u00a9 Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates traded starting pitcher Luis Ortiz to the Cleveland Guardians for infielder Spencer Horwitz. It\u2019s the proverbial good deal for both teams. Cleveland was looking for starting pitching while Horwitz is expected to step in as the Pirates\u2019 first baseman. The Pirates included pitching prospects Michael Kennedy and Josh Hartle in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5010,"featured_media":91822,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1071,9,35,26],"tags":[1121,3160,4144,6213,28806,28586,28345],"class_list":["post-91812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","category-guardians","category-news","category-pirates","tag-alex-cobb","tag-derek-shelton","tag-josh-naylor","tag-luis-ortiz","tag-matt-hague","tag-matthew-boyd","tag-spencer-horwitz"],"modified_by":"Lewis Masella, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5010"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91812"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91812\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91826,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91812\/revisions\/91826"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}