Pirates Must Do What They Can to Keep Brandon Lowe
Jason Shetler
Last offseason, Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington pulled off his best trade, when he acquired Brandon Lowe, Mason Montgomery, and Jake Mangum, as part of a three-team deal with the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros.
Rarely do the Pirates obtain a player coming off an All-Star season, but that was the case with Lowe, who had been brought in to be a massive upgrade offensively at second base.
Finishing last in most offensive categories in 2025, Pittsburgh showed a remarkable turnaround this year, with a Top 5 offense, including runs scored. They also set a new franchise record for single-season home runs.
Lowe has certainly played a major role in the Bucs’ homer barrage in 2026, with a club-leading 32 long balls. He’s just the second lefty-hitting second baseman in MLB history to hit 30 home runs for multiple teams. The first being Robinson Canó, who did so with the New York Yankees in 2012 and the Seattle Mariners in 2016.
On the opposite side of the ball, Lowe is playing a Gold Glove level second base, registering +14 Defensive Runs Saved, which are tied for third best at the position.
Unfortunately for the Pirates, Lowe is set to hit the free agent market in the offseason. Pittsburgh is most likely to give the veteran second baseman a qualifying offer of $22.025 million, which he will probably decline. If that happens, the Pirates would receive a 2027 compensatory draft pick.
Although Lowe will be 32 next season - an age where players typically begin to exit their prime - he hasn’t shown any real signs of slowing down, as he continues to be one of the most productive offensive second basemen in baseball, and is also having his best season defensively.
Most project Lowe to receive between $16-18 million annually, with a max of $20 million, on a three or four-year deal.
The Pirates were willing to go outside their comfort zone, when they made a surprising offer to free agent slugger Kyle Schwarber last winter, which was reportedly four years at $125 million. Given Lowe’s $20 million max annual, would the Bucs make an aggressive offer, such as $80 million over four years?
There’s plenty to like about the Pirates’ offense heading into 2027, with Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, Ryan O’Hearn, Nick Gonzales, and Spencer Horwitz. Not to mention the rookie contributions from Konnor Griffin, Esmerlyn Valdez, and Rafael Flores.
While the components are there, for a quality lineup, the Pirates must find a way to bring Lowe back into the fold, if they want to establish themselves as a Top 5 caliber offense moving forward.