MLB trade grades: Guardians flip Blue Jays INF in win-win deal with Pirates

The Cleveland Guardians had a busy Tuesday at MLB Winter Meetings, facilitating not one but two trades. First, they traded Andres Giménez to the Toronto Blue Jays for Spencer Horwitz. Then, just as Guardians fans talked themselves into the merits of the trade, the team flipped Horwitz to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The trade between the Pirates and Guardians resulted in Horwitz heading for Pittsburgh and a trio of pitchers coming back to Cleveland.

Who won the trade? Perhaps it was both.

Pirates trade grade for Spencer Horwitz

The Pirates needed a first baseman to replace Rowdy Tellez. Now Horwitz, who split time between first and second base with the Blue Jays, will get to play full-time at his natural position.

What does Horwitz bring to the table? Let's see what the Alicia of Tuesday afternoon had to say when it looked like he'd be a Guardian.

"They're banking on Spencer Horwitz recreating his rookie showing of .265/.357/.433 with an OPS+ of 125 in 97 games in the majors this year. Horwitz has six years of team control remaining and he'll be making the league minimum for the next two years. That's plenty of time for Cleveland to decide what his future is, especially with the versatility to play first or second base."

Horwitz had an impressive rookie season, enough to suggest he could be a real asset to a team like the Pirates.

The worry is obvious: He was a 26-year-old rookie who struggled to break into the majors. The sample size isn't great either. The Pirates could be trading three capable arms for an infielder who regresses to the mean.

My best guess is this is a good deal for Pittsburgh. Horwitz fills a need and the Pirates had pitchers to use as trade assets.

Grade: A

Guardians trade grade for Luis Ortiz and prospects

I like Horwitz as an addition for the Guardians, but trading him for three pitchers isn't bad business.

Over the course of a day, Cleveland got out from under Giménez's bloated contract and found some reinforcements for their pitching staff.

Ortiz is the prize here. He transitioned from the bullpen to a starting role and posted a 3.32 ERA at 25 years old. He should slot right into the rotation, bolstering that group.

Trading Giménez meant adding reliever Nick Sandlin as a makeweight for the Blue Jays. Adding Ortiz makes up for that, especially with four years of control. The other two pitchers joining the organization could also make this trade a win.

Kennedy and Hartle were the Pirates No. 15 and 17 prospects respectively. Both are lefties in their early 20s. Kennedy, 20, was a 2022 fourth-round pick out of high school. Hartle, 21, arrived in 2024 in the third round out of Wake Forest. He was considering a high-level draft prospect until a downturn in his last year with the Demon Deacons.

Figuring out whether either of those prospects will make it in the majors is obviously something for the future. The Guardians have shown plenty of ability to develop pitchers, so their chances of making something out of Kennedy and Hartle feel solid.

Grade: A