Pirates’ Spencer Horwitz trade looks even better amid Guardians gambling investigation

The Pittsburgh Pirates haven't come out on the winning side of trades - or, well, really anything - in recent years. The club continues to spiral downward, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight as long as Bob Nutting owns the team.

However, one move they did make is starting to look like a winner, even if it didn't appear that way at first. Lefty-swinging first baseman Spencer Horwitz is finally starting to heat up, but even if he'd remained cold, the Pirates dodged an apparent bullet that would've robbed them of a serious asset. The gambling investigation that the Cleveland Guardians have been mired in, thanks in part to Luis L. Ortiz, nearly solidifies the move as a win for Pittsburgh.

Pirates are the clear winners of the Spencer Horwitz trade amid the Guardians gambling investigation

At first, it looked as if the Guardians had gotten the better end of the trade that sent Luis L. Ortiz, along with two pitching prospects, to Cleveland in exchange for Spencer Horwitz. Ortiz looked like a competent, if not dominant, starter with a 4.36 ERA in his first year as a full-time starter, while a wrist injury delayed the start of Horwitz's season and his performance left a lot to be desired once he returned to the lineup.

However, Horwitz has heated up recently, putting up a torrid start to August that has seen him raise his line to .265/.335/.388 line on the year. His hot August is actually a continuation of his strong finish to July, as the 27-year-old is hitting an impressive .333 since the All-Star break.

Moreover, it appears that the Pirates really dodged disaster by surrendering Ortiz the moment they did. Ortiz was the first, but not only, Guardians pitcher implicated in gambling, with star closer Emmanuel Clase also being placed on leave shortly thereafter. The extent of either's role is unknown, but it does appear logical that there is likely a link between the two.

The penalties for gambling are steep, with former Pirate Tucupita Marcano being served with a lifetime ban for his own involvement in a betting scandal, and as we can see with the Guardians, things like this can spread through a clubhouse.

While there were two other arms that went to Cleveland in the Horwitz deal, it is starting to feel like Pittsburgh got the first baseman for a reduced rate. More importantly, the organization potentially saved itself from the embarrassment and potential negative repercussions that are the result of a gambling investigation. For that reason alone, the deal is a win, but Horwitz performing up to and beyond expectations is a victory for a franchise that badly needs one.