Pirates Pursuing Trade for Rays Second Baseman
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are still aiming for their big move this offseason and looking around for that one player that will make a big difference in their lineup.
The Pirates did add left-handed relief pitcher Gregory Soto to a one-year, $7.75 million deal on Dec. 9, but still need offensive additions for 2026.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the Pirates are staying aggressive during the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla. and inquired about Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe, who has a big trade market.
The Pirates are staying aggressive after their pursuit of Kyle Schwarber and are among the teams that have inquired to the Rays about Brandon Lowe.@MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 10, 2025
What the Pirates Would Get in Brandon Lowe
Lowe is an eight-year MLB veteran who has had great success from the plate and has served as the Rays second baseman since 2020.
He has slashed .247/.326/.481 for an OPS of .807 in 745 games since 2018, with 657 hits, 126 doubles, 12 triples, 157 home runs, 446 RBI and 282 walks to 817 strikeouts.
His time in Tampa Bay puts him amongst the best in franchise history. He ranks second in slugging percentage, third in home runs, fourth in OPS, seventh in RBI and on-base percentage and eighth in hits, walks and batting average.
Lowe is coming off one of the best years of his career in 2025, as he slashed .256/.307/.477 for an OPS of .784 in 134 games, with 130 hits, 19 doubles, 31 home runs, 83 RBIs and 38 walks to 149 strikeouts.
He earned an All-Star nod for his performance, just the second of his career. He earned his first as a rookie in 2019, slashing .270/.336/.514 for an OPS of .850 in 82 games, including 17 home runs.
Should the Pirates Trade for Lowe?
The Pirates ranked last in baseball in home runs last season (117), 31 home runs less than the St. Louis Cardinals, who hit the second least amongst MLB teams at 148 home runs.
Pittsburgh also posted the lowest slugging percentage (.350) and OPS (.655) in baseball, while scoring the least runs (561) and driving in the least RBI (583), with even the 43-119 Colorado Rockies doing better than them.
Lowe's 31 home runs last season were 11 more than the next Pirates player, which was center fielder Oneil Cruz at 20 home runs.
He has also hit more than 20 home runs in the four seasons he's played more than 100 games and would immediately make the Pirates a better hitting team if they brought him on.
Season | Games | Home Runs |
|---|---|---|
2018 | 43 | 6 |
2019 | 82 | 17 |
2020 | 56 | 14 |
2021 | 149 | 39 |
2022 | 65 | 8 |
2023 | 109 | 21 |
2024 | 107 | 21 |
2025 | 134 | 31 |
Lowe is also a left-handed batter, which is something the Pirates are looking for and which would give him an edge at PNC Park, with a right field wall that is closer than the right field wall.
The concerns for trading for Lowe is his injury history, as his 134 games last season were the most he's played outside of 2021, where he featured in 149 games.
He had back issues in 2022 that limited him to 65 games and that kept him out for a month in 2023. He also fractured his right knee cap after fouling a ball off it later that September and missed another month of play in 2024 with a right oblique strain.
Lowe also ranked as one of the worst defensive second baseman in baseball last season, with his -10 runs prevented and -13 outs above average, second worst at his position andonly ahead of Kansas City Royals' Jonathan India.
He also makes $11.5 million for a club option in 2026, marking the end of his contract he signed back in 2019.
The Pirates must consider whether it's worth giving up key pieces for Lowe, especially if they don't know they will re-sign him after this season.
What Other Teams are Interested in Brandon Lowe?
Pittsburgh isn't the only team trying to land Lowe, with other small market and big market teams involved.
The Cincinnati Reds are another team that wants to improve their roster and see Lowe as one of those pieces.
Other west coast teams have been named fits for Lowe, including the Athletics, the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres.
The trade market for Lowe will only continue to grow, especially during a crucial time like the Winter Meetings.
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.