That’s when the Pirates acquired second baseman Brandon Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays, along with outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed relief pitcher Mason Montgomery. As part of the three-team trade, the Pirates sent pitcher Mike Burrows to the Houston Astros, while the Rays received minor leaguers Anderson Brito and Jacob Melton from Houston.
Lowe is the biggest name in the transfer and an important addition for the Pirates. It’s also a rare offseason win for the Pirates, at least a small step toward a competitive roster in 2026. But they can’t stop there.
Pirates need at least one more proven bat
The pressure is on the Pirates after another disappointing season in 2025, in which they lost another year of starting pitcher Paul Skenes. Along with Skenes, the Pirates had one of the league’s best pitching staffs, and one that should have been good enough to compete for a playoff spot. But because their lineup and offense were so poor, they only won 76 games and weren’t even an afterthought in the playoff race, despite having the National League Cy Young winner (Skenes).
Considering that a future Skenes trade seems inevitable if his price tag becomes too high for the Pirates, there should be every conceivable incentive to try and win while they still have him.
Pursuing Schwarber was an intriguing change for the notoriously cheap Pirates. When they failed to land him, it should have led to the usual skepticism that follows the franchise.
The addition of Lowe should at least send a signal that they might seriously want to give it a try.
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