The Guardians traded Horwitz to the Pirates on Tuesday in exchange for Josh Hartle, Luis Ortiz and Michael Kennedy, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Just hours after being traded to Cleveland in the deal that sent Andres Gimenez to Toronto, Horwitz will now land in Pittsburgh instead while the Guardians add to their organizational depth. The 27-year-old has covered first and second base during his time in the big leagues and should have no problem starting regularly in a Pirates infield that lacks impact bats. Moving to Pittsburgh will also reunite him with hitting coach Matt Hague, under whom Horwitz posted a .790 OPS in 2024.
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Pirates' Elvis Alvarado: Gets MLB deal from Pittsburgh
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Alvarado signed a major-league contract with the Pirates on Tuesday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Alvarado spent the majority of the 2024 season with the Marlins' Triple-A affiliate, where he posted a 2.49 ERA and 1.40 WHIP alongside a 70:36 K:BB over 47 innings. He has yet to appear in a major-league game, but the Pirates seem to like the 25-year-old righty enough to hand him a spot on their 40-man roster, and he'll have an opportunity to make the Buccos' Opening Day bullpen during spring training.
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Pirates' Endy Rodriguez: Should be good for spring training
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Manager Derek Shelton said Monday that Rodriguez (elbow) is expected to be fully healthy for the start of spring training, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Rodriguez was sidelined for the entire 2024 campaign after undergoing surgery to repair the UCL and flexor tendon in his right elbow in December of 2023. He was able to progress in his recovery enough to go on a rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona in September, and it appears the 24-year-old right-hander will be able to report for the start of spring training. Rodriguez played in 57 regular-season games for the Pirates in 2023 and finished with a slash line of .220/.284/.328 with three home runs and 13 RBI over 204 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Hunter Stratton: Back with Bucs
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Stratton (knee) signed a minor-league deal with the Pirates on Monday, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Stratton was with the Pirates in 2024 and threw 37.2 innings out of the bullpen while maintaining a 3.58 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. His recovery from knee surgery could spill over into the regular season, but he's likely to contribute as a reliever for the big-league club at some point in 2025.
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Pirates' Isaac Mattson: Returns to Pittsburgh
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Mattson signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates on Thursday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Mattson appeared in three games for the Pirates last season, during which he allowed three earned runs over 5.1 innings while striking out six batters and walking five. Most of his time was spent at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he turned in a 3.19 ERA over 62 frames. The 29-year-old will almost certainly return to Indy to begin the 2025 campaign, though a strong start could earn him another look in Pittsburgh's bullpen.
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Pirates' Bryan Reynolds: Expected to see time at first base
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The Pirates plan to play Reynolds at first base, at least on a part-time basis, in 2025, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Reynolds has never played first base in pro ball, but he began working out there in September of this past season. The soon-to-be 30-year-old graded out as one of the worst outfield defenders in baseball in 2024, ranking in the first percentile in Outs Above Average. How much action Reynolds ultimately sees at first base could depend not only on how well he takes to the position but also how the Pirates address the position this offseason.
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Pirates' Peter Strzelecki: Shipped to Pittsburgh
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The Guardians traded Strzelecki to the Pirates on Friday in exchange for cash.
The right-hander was designated for assignment Tuesday in order to make room for Franco Aleman on the Guardians' 40-man roster, but Strzelecki will now claim a spot on Pittsburgh's 40-man instead. The 30-year-old put up a 5.01 ERA and 1.39 WHIP across 46.2 innings in the minors last season, and he will compete for a spot in the Pirates' bullpen during spring training.
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Pirates' Paul Skenes: Brings home NL ROY
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Skenes was named the 2024 National League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year on Monday.
This award comes as no surprise for Skenes, who earned 23 first-place votes and seven second-place votes in a landslide victory. The flamethrower posted an eye-poping 1.96 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 170 strikeouts over 23 starts (133.0 innings) during his rookie campaign. However, Skenes already has his sights on next season, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I was super pleased with this year, going out there and competing. But there's more work to be done."
Pirates' Yerry Rodriguez: Minor-league deal with Pittsburgh
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The Pirates signed Rodriguez to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Rodriguez, 27, appeared in 30 games at the major-league level from 2022-24 posting an 8.17 ERA and 33:19 K:BB over 36.1 innings. The righty reliever boasts a 28.3 percent strikeout rate during his time at the Triple-A level, so he has some bat-missing ability if he can just throw enough strikes.
Pirates' Isaac Mattson: Removed from 40-man roster
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The Pirates outrighted Mattson to Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Mattson is no longer on the 40-man roster but will stick around in the organization. He allowed three runs over 5.1 relief innings for the Pirates this season.
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Pirates' Daulton Jefferies: Outrighted to Triple-A
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The Pirates outrighted Jefferies to Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Jefferies has been outrighted previously, so he could elect free agency if he wants. The right-hander ended the season on the 60-day injured list with an elbow injury, but he had been making rehab starts so he should be healthy heading into the offseason.
