News broke last week that Pittsburgh Pirates director of amateur scouting Justin Horowitz planned to leave the organization to take a job with the Washington Nationals as an assistant general manager. His departure marks a major blow to Pittsburgh’s front office, especially when it comes to their draft strategy and long-term talent pipeline.
Horowitz joined the Pirates two years ago from the Boston Red Sox and oversaw the last two drafts. In 2024, under his oversight, the Pirates selected Konnor Griffin with the ninth overall pick. Griffin went on to play at three levels in his first year of pro ball, hitting .