The Cleveland Guardians traded second baseman/first baseman Spencer Horwitz to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night in exchange for pitchers Luis L. Ortiz, Josh Hartle and Michael Kennedy, according to sources. The Guardians traded second baseman Andres Gimenez to the Toronto Blue Jays earlier in the day for Horwitz before flipping him to Pittsburgh. Horwitz's best path to playing time in Pittsburgh will likely come at first base, but given his lackluster defensive skills and his struggles against left-handed pitching, the 27-year-old could quickly become a platoon player in his new digs in 2025. The former 24th-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2019 out of Radford has hit a combined .264/.355/.428 with a .783 OPS, 13 home runs and 47 RBI in his two big-league seasons over 112 games. The move from Toronto to Pittsburgh is less than ideal for fantasy purposes.
The Cleveland Guardians acquired first baseman/second baseman Spencer Horwitz from the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday in the deal that sent second baseman Andres Gimenez and Nick Sandlin to Toronto, according to a source. Horwitz comes with six years of club control -- two years at league minimum and four years of salary arbitration. Horwitz, 27, made his major-league debut in Toronto in 2023 (15 games) and hit .265/.357/.433 with a decent .790 OPS, 12 home runs, 40 RBI and 46 runs scored in 381 trips to the plate over his 97 games played. He has the ability to play multiple positions, but Gimenez now in Toronto, Horwitz figures to see most of his playing time with his new team at the keystone. The left-handed hitter was originally a 24th-round pick by Toronto in 2019 out of Radford. Horwitz's defensive skills pale in comparison to Gimenez, and he could be destined for a platoon role unless he improves against lefty pitchers.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Spencer Horwitz will head to the bench ahead of Wednesday's game against the Boston Red Sox. The left-handed slugger will get a much-needed day off after starting in 11 straight games. The 26-year-old holds a .268 batting average with 12 home runs and 38 RBI across 94 games this season. Alejandro Kirk will slide over from catcher and serve as the designated hitter against right-hander Richard Fitts on Wednesday. Kirk has seen his power numbers take a dip this season, but he has knocked in 51 runs across 100 games in 2024.
Daulton Varsho, Spencer Horwitz Sitting Against A Lefty
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho and rookie first baseman Spencer Horwitz are out of the starting lineup on Wednesday at Rogers Centre against the New York Mets with a left-hander on the mound. Rookie Joey Loperfido will handle center-field duties and will bat eighth, while George Springer will serve as the designated hitter and bat leadoff against Mets lefty Sean Manaea. Nathan Lukes is in right field and is hitting in the two-hole. Springer has the quite the history against Manaea in 37 career at-bats, hitting .324 with a .768 OPS and six RBI, so he'll be a nice under-the-radar DFS sleeper while hitting leadoff. Horwitz has hit well in just his second MLB season in Toronto, but he's batting .193 (11-for-57) with none of his 12 home runs against southpaws in 2024, hence why he is on the bench on Wednesday.
Spencer Horwitz Gets Four Hits, Two Homers On Saturday
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Spencer Horwitz homered twice among four hits Saturday in a 9-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves. Both home runs came off Atlanta starter Spencer Schwellenbach. Horwitz is now hitting .269 with 11 home runs, 32 RBI and 41 runs scored. The rookie has been hot over his last seven games, hitting .407 with three homers and six RBI. Continue to use him in lineups as he is playing daily and racking up some counting stats at this late stage in the season.
Daulton Varsho, Spencer Horwitz Sitting Versus Southpaw
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho and first baseman Spencer Horwitz will head to the bench ahead of Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. Fantasy managers don't need to worry about an injury as these moves appear to be matchup related. Varsho has a nine-game hit streak that will be held on hold unless he comes off the bench. Joey Loperfido will cover center field and bat second against left-hander Tyler Anderson. The rookie outfielder is heating up at the plate with eight hits over his last four games. He's well worth a look as a streaming option for Sunday's slate. As for Horwitz, he'll take a seat after starting in each of the last seven games. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will cover first base and bat third, so fantasy managers should make sure to get him in their lineups.
Spencer Horwitz, Joey Loperfido Both Sitting On Saturday
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Spencer Horwitz and outfielder Joey Loperfido will take a seat on Saturday as the Blue Jays will face left-handed pitcher Justin Steele. Horwitz has started every game this month, so he will be getting a deserved day off, while Loperfido will once again take a seat against a left-handed pitcher, as he has made only four starts against them this season. As a result, George Springer will shift to DH to cover for Horwitz, while Davis Schneider will cover left field for Loperfido. Horwitz has held a modest .229 AVG this month, while Loperfido holds a disappointing .132 AVG. Horwitz could return to the lineup on Sunday, but fantasy managers should expect Loperfido to take a seat again as the Cubs are scheduled to send out lefty Shota Imanaga in the series finale. Both Springer and Schneider are best to leave off your DFS lineup this afternoon as Steele holds a solid 3.16 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP through the summer and allowed just one run in his previous start.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman/second baseman Spencer Horwitz went 1-for-3 with a pair of runs, one walk and a solo home run in Tuesday's victory versus the Los Angeles Angels. Horwitz smacked his sixth home run of the season off Carson Fulmer in the top of the third inning to extend the Blue Jays lead to 5-0 at the time. Horwitz suited up as the designated hitter in this contest, but has played most of his games at first or second base. Horwitz has been in a bit of a slump this past month with a .213 batting average and two homers to go along with 11 RBI, but hopefully Tuesday's performance could get him going again. For the season he is hitting .272 with six homers and 22 RBI in 191 at-bats and could be considered a versatile bench option in deeper leagues, if he can get his bat going again.
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Spencer Horwitz went 3-for-4 with a double and his fifth home run of the season in Friday's 3-1 win over the Athletics. The 26-year-old is having a solid season overall for the Blue Jays, but the home run was his first after going 22 consecutive games without one. Since being called up in early June, the left-handed hitter is slashing .281/.367/.421 with a .343 wOBA and 124 wRC+. After batting out of the first or second spot in the order for the most part, Horwitz has batted fourth or fifth in the order over the last nine games, which should present more RBI opportunities going forward than he was getting earlier in the season.
Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Spencer Horwitz continued his strong play against the hosting San Francisco Giants in Thursday's win, belting his fourth home run of the season. The righty-mashing Horwitz hit a solo homer off Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks to right field on Thursday, extending the Blue Jays' lead to 5-2 in the fifth inning. The 26-year-old on-base machine has provided a spark for the disappointing Jays lineup at the top of the order, and he's now batting a hot .333 (12-for-36) with two long balls, two doubles, and four RBI during 10 games in the month of July. Although Horwitz loses some appeal in fantasy leagues that don't count walks, he could get more consistent playing time if Toronto decides to be sellers ahead of the late-July trade deadline.
Spencer Horwitz
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Pirates
