First, the Blue Jays acquired three-time Gold Glove-winning second baseman Andres Gimenez and right-hander Nick Sandlin from the Guardians in exchange for Horwitz and minor league outfielder Nick Mitchell.
Then Cleveland sent Horwitz to Pittsburgh in exchange for right-hander Luis L. Ortiz and minor league left-handers Josh Hartle and Michael Kennedy.
Horwitz, 27, appeared in 112 games for the Blue Jays over the past two seasons, including 97 in 2024. He batted .265 with a .367 on-base percentage, a .433 slugging percentage, 12 homers and 40 RBIs this year, giving him a career batting line of .264/.355/.428 with 13 home runs and 47 RBIs.
Gimenez, 26, was an All-Star selection in 2022 and won the Gold Glove Award in each of the past three seasons while anchoring the Guardians’ infield. He turned a major-league-best 93 double plays in 2024.
At the plate, Gimenez hit .252 with nine home runs and 63 RBIs this past season while stealing 30 bases for the second year in a row. In five major league seasons with the New York Mets (2020) and Guardians (2021-24), he has batted .261 with 49 homers, 222 RBIs and 99 steals over 568 career games.
Gimenez is in the middle of a seven-year, $106.5 million contract he signed with the Guardians that runs through 2029, featuring a club option for 2030.
Sandlin, 27, went 8-0 with a 3.75 ERA and one save in 68 appearances (one start) for Cleveland this year. In four career seasons, all with the Guardians, he owns a 19-8 record with the one save and a 3.27 ERA in 209 games (one start).
Ortiz, 25, finished 7-6 with a 3.32 ERA in 37 games (15 starts) for Pittsburgh in 2024. His career record in three major league seasons is 12-13 with a 3.93 ERA in 59 games (34 starts).
Mitchell, 21, was a fourth-round draft pick this year. He played 22 games in Class-A, hitting .289/.350/.467 with four homers and 13 RBIs.
Hartle, 21, was selected in the third round of this year’s draft. He made just one minor league appearance, allowing four runs (three earned) in 1 2/3 innings for Class-A Bradenton.
Kennedy, 20, played his third minor league season this year. Splitting time between two Class-A teams, he went 2-5 with a 3.66 ERA in 18 games (17 starts).