This ex-Blue Jay is finding his game in Pittsburgh

Spencer Horwitz began his MLB career as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. In two seasons with Toronto in 2023 and 2024, Horwitz played in 112 games at the MLB level, hitting 13 home runs and 47 RBI's. After the 2024 season, Horwitz was traded to the Cleveland Guardians to help the Blue Jays acquire three-time Gold Glove winner and 2022 All-Star Andres Gimenez. Then, Horwitz was traded by the Guardians to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Being traded two times in an off-season can be a mental challenge for any player. However, on a struggling Pirates team, the former Blue Jay is starting to find his game.

Horwitz is having a solid season in Pittsburgh

Horwitz wouldn't debut for the Pirates until May 17, and it took him a little while to get going for the last place Pirates. The 27-year-old left handed hitter had a .225/.298/.320 slash line on July 20. But since then, Horwitz has hit .342/.412/.526 with three home runs in 21 games, including a .302 average so far in 12 games in August, although the Pirates have gone 4-8 this month.

Although Horwitz's five home runs on the Pirates is tied for fourth, he has been solid in other offensive categories. Horwitz is fifth on the Pirates with 15 doubles, seventh with 67 hits and tied for fifth with 33 RBI's. Horwitz's .714 OPS is also the fourth most on the Pirates.

For a player who's played in 70 games this season, Horwitz has had a better season than most would've expected. The same can't be said for Gimenez in Toronto, who has played in 64 games and is hitting .221 this season.

The Blue Jays had high hopes when they acquired Gimenez, who hasn't managed to stay healthy for the majority of this season, spending most of the year out of the lineup battling injuries. After the Blue Jays' game on July 4, Gimenez was out for over a month but returned for their series earlier this week against the Chicago Cubs, going 2-6 with a walk and one run scored.

There's no denying that the Blue Jays are in a better position than the Pirates this season. However, an underperforming season from Gimenez, at a $15 million annual price tag, may make the Blue Jays wonder if trading Horwitz was worth it. To be fair though, Gimenez hasn't showed his full potential in Toronto due to injuries and when he has been healthy he has shown exactly why he's been named a platinum glove winner in the past. He's also a player who has 17 games of playoff experience, and has not committed a single error in 157 defensive innings.

If Horwitz was on the 2025 Blue Jays, they would have a solid bat whos main asset is punishing righties, but what they currently have, if Giménez is healthy, is a player who can have a huge effect on limiting the oppositions chances with his defensive skills.