The Pirates will hope 2025 brings offensive results after finishing in the bottom-half of the league in several categories. Pittsburgh will have to start off the year, however, without offseason acquisition Spencer Horwitz. Horwitz could miss more than two months after recent surgery on his wrist.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington confirmed on February 12 that Spencer Horwitz, acquired from Cleveland this winter, underwent wrist surgery and is expected to miss at least six to eight weeks.

Cherington said Horwitz had a flareup of wrist issues last month. It’s been a chronic problem for the new Pirate, something the team’s front office was aware of before the move.

The team wouldn’t put a timetable on Horwitz’s return. However, given the expectation he’ll miss at least the next month and a half, Horwitz will likely miss the start of the 2025 regular season.

Pittsburgh doesn’t have many internal options to replace Horwitz. Utilityman Jared Triolo played nine games at first last season and would figure as a potential replacement in the interim.

Darick Hall, a non-roster invitee with MLB experience, is another. Hall is a power-hitting first baseman who played with the Phillies and was a slugger in the Minors. He cracked nine home runs in Philadelphia back in 2022 over 42 contests. However, he’s a career .226/.258/.442 (.700 OPS) hitter at the Major League level.

The Pirates acquired Horwitz, set to replace Connor Joe at first base, from Cleveland after the Guardians picked him up in the Andres Gimenez deal. Pittsburgh gave up a package that included Josh Hartle and starter Luis Ortiz.

Horwitz is a stout hitter who’s not a plus power hitter by any means. However, he makes consistent, hard contact and gets on base regularly. Last season, Horwitz posted a .357 OBP and was a consistent hitter for the Blue Jays.

In other transaction-related news, the Dodgers re-signed Clayton Kershaw on February 11, while the Angels picked up Kenley Jansen on the same day.