Pirates Could Be Landing Spot For Rays Infielder
Few teams need to improve their offense more than the Pittsburgh Pirates this offseason.
One way Pittsburgh could address the pressing need is via trade. ESPN's David Schoenfield had the taking that route, naming them as the team he wants to see trade for Tampa Bay Rays left-handed hitting second baseman Brandon Lowe.
"The Pirates have plenty of options to fill second base -- although none of them are great options," Schoenfield writes. "They also need a shortstop with Oneil Cruz moving to the outfield and a first baseman. Lowe isn't a shortstop, but he would be an option for either first or second, bringing a power bat -- he has averaged 33 home runs per 162 games played in his career -- to a lineup that needs power. His $10.5 million salary for 2025 (with an $11.5 option for 2026) isn't prohibitive, even for a club like Pittsburgh. If Lowe plays second, Nick Yorke would be an option for the outfield. If Lowe plays first, Yorke could be the starter at second."
Lowe's bat would be a more than welcome addition to a Pirates offense that ranked in the bottom 10 in nearly every major hitting stat. Lowe hit 21 home runs in each of the last two seasons and set a career-high in 2021 when he hit 39.
But for as good as Lowe's bat can be when he's in the lineup, his health remains a question mark. The 5-foot-10 second baseman has only played in over 110 games in a season once in his career, though, he's been more healthy of late, playing in over 100 games in 2023 and 2024. Excluding his rookie year and the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Lowe has averaged just 113 games per season.
Lowe played 71 of his 107 games in the field last season, appearing in 58 at second base and 13 at first base and didn't have an error last season across both positions.
Whether he plays first or second base, Lowe's bat would be a clear improvement from what the Pirates currently have in-house. Given the importance of the 2025 season for the current regime in Pittsburgh, it shouldn't hesitate to see if a deal could be done for Lowe if he's available.
