Pirates Reveal Offseason Strategy After Brandon Lowe Trade
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates made their biggest acquisition of the offseason, as they landed Brandon Lowe in a recent trade.
Lowe was a part of a six-player and three-team trade on Dec. 19, with the Pirates also landing left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery and outfielder Jake Mangum from the Tampa Bay Rays, sending right-handed starting pitcher Mike Burrows to the Houston Astros, who then sent two prospects to the Rays.
This trade finally landed the Pirates a power bat in Lowe, something they desperately needed heading into 2026.
Lowe is a big add for the Pirates, but they have much more work to do going forward if they want to contend in 2026.
Pirates Still Ambitious After Brandon Lowe Trade
The Pirates haven't made a ton of moves this offseason, which means they have more opportunities to add talent this offseason.
They added top 100 prospect in outfielder Jhostynxon García in a trade with the Boston Red Sox on Dec. 4, sending right-handed starting pitcher Johan Oviedo the other way.
Pittsburgh also signed left-handed relief pitcher Gregory Soto to a one-year, $7.75 million contract on Dec. 15.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington spoke to the media about the trade with Lowe and that they aren't done making moves this offseason.
“We’re looking forward to doing more,” Cherington said to Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I mean, we haven’t hit Christmas yet and there’s a lot more out there for us.”
The Pirates want to bolster a lineup that served as one of the worst hitting units in 2025, wasting a strong performance from the starting rotation.
Pittsburgh posted the lowest slugging percentage (.350) and OPS (.655), the third lowest batting average (.231) and the eighth lowest on-base percentage (.305).
The Pirates also scored the least runs (583) and drove in the least RBIs (561), both lower than the 43-119 Colorado Rockies. They also hit the least home runs (117), 31 home runs less than then second-lowest team in the St. Louis Cardinals at 148 home runs, and had the seventh most strikeouts (1,422).
Cherington wants another strong offensive option for 2026 and that they'll try and find that any way they can.
“We’d like to add another, let’s say, proven bat somewhere on the roster,” Cherington said to Beazley. “Whether that’s outfield, whether that’s corner infield or whether that’s DH, not sure. I think we’ve just got to keep working it and pursuing all the angles.”
Who the Pirates Could Target This Offseason
The Pirates will likely look at their best free agent targets after two trades, which feature a number of big-time hitters.
Pittsburgh already missed out on the likes of Jorge Polanco and Pete Alonso, plus both Kyle Schwarber and Josh Naylor, who they offered record contracts to, so they have some other targets in mind.
Free Agent | Position |
|---|---|
Ryan O'Hearn | 1B/DH/RF |
Kazuma Okamoto | 3B/1B |
Munetaka Murakami | 3B/1B |
J.T. Realmuto | C |
Willi Castro | 2B/RF/LF/3B/CF |
Marcell Ozuna | DH |
Japenese superstars in Kazuma Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami both play third base, a position of need for the Pirates in 2026 after they traded Ke'Bryan Hayes at the deadline.
Ryan O'Hearn is a lefty slugger that would help the Pirates out in many areas and Marcell Ozuna is a recent name, but both players could serve as their potential designated hitters for next season.
J.T. Realmuto and Willi Castro have been linked with the Pirates, but are the less likely options compared to bigger needs met with Okamoto, Murakami and O'Hearn.
One free agent the Pirates haven't reportedly targeted yet is Eugenio Suárez, who hit 49 home runs last season, something the Pirates would benefit greatly from adding.
Some other interesting trade pieces for the Pirates include outfielders in Nick Castellanos from the Philadelphia Phillies and Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox, plus second baseman/outfielder Jeff McNeil of the New York Mets.
The Pirates have many different avenues for adding better bats for next season, but free agency looks like the best option at the moment.
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.