The Pittsburgh Pirates gave their lineup a major boost on Friday, acquiring Brandon Lowe, Mason Montgomery and Jake Mangum in a three-team trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros.
This trade looks like a massive coup by the Pirates, who only gave up Mike Burrows in the deal. In return, they received a premier slugger in Lowe and a pair of promising young Major Leaguers in Montgomery and Mangum, all from the Rays.
Lowe, 31, immediately becomes the best hitter in Pittsburgh’s lineup, which ranked last in MLB in runs, home runs and OPS last year. The two-time All-Star bashed 31 home runs with 83 RBI last season, both of which would have led the Pirates.
A power-hitting second baseman, Lowe has topped 20 homers in four of the last five seasons. He’s also a career .247/.326/.481 hitter with a 123 OPS+.
With Lowe joining Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh’s lineup already looks much more formidable for 2026, especially if Reynolds bounces back and Cruz finds another gear. All three are capable of hitting at least 20 homers when healthy, giving the Pirates a dangerous middle of the order.
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Lowe is also entering a contract year, so he’ll be extra motivated to stay healthy and put up big numbers for his new team. A third 30-homer campaign with close to 100 RBI could be forthcoming.
FanGraphs projects him for around 25 homers, 70 RBI and a .760 OPS, which is still a pretty good season. His upside is obviously higher than that, but Pittsburgh would happily take that kind of production.
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The Pirates are reportedly still searching for more offensive help, but Lowe is a good bet to be their best hitter next year based on his impressive track record.
More Pirates: Pirates Reportedly In Talks To Acquire Brandon Lowe In Three-Team Trade
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Featured image via Scott Galvin/Imagn Images