Pirates Could Have Easier Time Re-Signing Brandon Lowe Than Expected
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have a busy offseason ahead, and bringing back Brandon Lowe is a big part of it.
Lowe is a free agent after the 2026 season, when he was the Pirates' best hitter and an important clubhouse leader.
The 32-year-old will have a long list of suitors and should command a solid contract on the free agent market this offseason.
Pittsburgh wants to re-sign Lowe and it may be easier to do than previously expected.
What Pirates' Contract With Lowe Might Look Like
Jim Bowden of The Athletic released his top-40 free agent list for this offseason, including team fits and contract predictions.
He put the Pirates as a team fit for Lowe and also gave a contract prediction of three years, $45 million for him.
Lowe made $11.5 million in 2026, the second club option on a six-year, $24 million contract extension he signed in 2019 with the Tampa Bay Rays.
That $15 million AAV would make him the second-highest-paid player on the Pirates for 2027, with outfielder Bryan Reynolds and first baseman Ryan O'Hearn making about the same.
Only right-handed starting pitcher Mitch Keller would make more, about $18.5 million, for the biggest salary on the Pirates' payroll next season.
If the Pirates signed Lowe to that contract, it would give them a projected payroll around $115 million, barring any other additions or trades from the team.
That would be the biggest Opening Day payroll in Pirates history, but would be quite reasonable for 2027 and for their hopes of making the postseason.
Would the Pirates Actually Sign Lowe to This Contract?
The Pirates should immediately jump at re-signing Lowe to a three-year, $45 million contract if given the opportunity.
Lowe is coming off an incredible 2026, where he hit 35 home runs, the most for any Pirate since Josh Bell hit 37 in 2019, while leading all MLB second basemen in home runs, slugging percentage (.493) and OPS (.824).
He also turned it around completely defensively, going from one of the worst fielding second basemen last season to a National League Gold Glove Award finalist this season.
$15 million AAV should be an easy decision for the Pirates, but it's likely Lowe commands more on the free agent market.
The Pirates aren't the only team that needs a second baseman, and the two other teams Bowden listed as team fits for Lowe, the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres, have had much higher payrolls in recent years, willing to commit more for free agents.
Lowe could easily end up making $20 million AAV, and the Pirates would have to decide how far they're willing to go to re-sign him.
The Pirates may earn his signature by going for a longer contract, four years, for example, which would keep him with the team through the time he's 36.
Lowe likely won't have the same production throughout his entire contract, but the Pirates have a great opportunity to finally make the postseason in 2027 and they have little choice than to do anything but bring him back.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.