Okay, let’s talk about this Spencer Horwitz trade I pulled off recently. It wasn’t something I planned way in advance, you know? It just sort of happened, like a lot of things in fantasy baseball.
How It Started
So, I was looking at my roster a couple of weeks back. My hitting was okay, but I felt like I needed a bit more consistency, maybe someone who gets on base more. My corner infield spot was a bit weak, rotating guys in and out. Then I saw Horwitz getting called up and getting some playing time with the Jays. I remembered him from the minors, decent hitter, good eye.
I didn’t jump right away. First, I just watched. Put him on my watchlist. Saw he was getting walks, hitting for a decent average in his first few games. That caught my eye. It wasn’t like he was hitting bombs, but that’s not what I was looking for right then.
Doing My Homework (Sort Of)
My process here is pretty basic, nothing fancy. I checked his minor league numbers again. Looked pretty solid, always had good OBP. That’s a big plus in my league’s scoring. Then I looked at the Blue Jays’ lineup. Seemed like he might actually stick around for a bit, maybe platoon, maybe get regular starts if he kept hitting. It wasn’t a sure thing, but who is in fantasy, right?
I considered a few things:
- Playing Time: Would he actually play enough to be useful? This was the biggest gamble.
- My Need: Did he fill a specific hole? Yeah, my corner infield / utility spot was shaky.
- Cost: What would I have to give up? I wasn’t willing to break the bank for a guy just called up.
Making the Move
So, I decided to poke around. I looked at the other teams, saw who might need what I had. I had a couple of relief pitchers who were doing surprisingly well, guys I picked up off waivers. Middle relievers mostly, but getting holds and decent ratios. Found a guy in my league, let’s call him Dave, who was desperate for pitching help. His bullpen was a mess.
I sent Dave a message. Didn’t even mention Horwitz at first. Just asked if he was looking for relief help, mentioned the guys I had. He replied pretty quick, said he was interested. We chatted back and forth a bit. He offered a couple of bench bats I wasn’t really keen on.
Then I said, “Hey, what about Horwitz? Looks like you picked him up last week but haven’t started him.” Dave admitted he just grabbed him on spec, didn’t really have a spot for him. Bingo.
We haggled a bit. I didn’t want to give up my best reliever for him, obviously. We settled on me sending over one of my solid middle relievers – a guy who was good but not essential to my team – for Horwitz. It felt fair. Maybe I gave up a little more proven value, but I was betting on Horwitz’s upside and playing time.
The Final Deal:
- I Gave: One decent Middle Reliever (let’s call him RP#1)
- I Got: Spencer Horwitz
Keeping Track
Trade went through. First thing I did was slot Horwitz into my CI spot. Then I made a note in my little notebook I use for fantasy. Just the date, the trade details, and a quick ‘why’ – “Needed OBP boost, betting on PT for Horwitz”.
Now, I’m just watching. Checking the box scores daily. Seeing how often he plays, where he hits in the order, how he performs. The reliever I traded away? I keep an eye on him too, on Dave’s team. Did he keep pitching well? Did I sell high?
So far, it’s been… okay. Horwitz has had some good games, got on base, but also sat a few times. The playing time gamble is still up in the air. The reliever I traded? He gave up a couple of runs last week. Small victories, right?
That’s the process, really. See a need, watch some players, check some basic stats, find a trade partner, make a deal that feels right, and then track it. Sometimes it works out great, sometimes it blows up in your face. This one? Jury’s still out, but that’s the fun of it. Just gotta keep notes and learn from it for the next time.
