MLB insider gives verdict on Rays All-Star's Pirates fit

The Pittsburgh Pirates endured a difficult 2025 season, finishing in last place in their division, the NL Central, with a 71-91 record. As a result, they failed to qualify for the postseason for the tenth consecutive year.

Throughout the campaign, offense was a big problem for the Bucs. With a .231 collective batting average, Pittsburgh's offense was ranked 28th out of 30 big league teams for the 2025 season.

Looking to improve, the organization has reportedly acquired infielder Brandon Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays, in a three-team trade also involving the Houston Astros. Along with Lowe, pitcher Mason Montgomery and outfielder Jake Mangum will also make their way to PNC Park, while the Rays will get a pair of Astros' prospects. The Astros, in turn, will recieve starting pitcher Mike Burrows.

Speaking to MLB Network Radio shortly after the trade was finalized, insider Mike Ferrin had his say on Brandon Lowe's fit with his new team.

"The Pirates would get a left-handed thumper that they desperately need," Ferrin said. "That ballpark is built better for left-handed hitters. I know Lowe's going to be a free agent after this season. But, man, does he upgrade their offense. All of a sudden, it puts a guy (in the lineup) that draws some walks. "I know he's got some strikeouts, I know he's got some injury history. But he can hit some tanks, and it would give them the power bat they have sorely been missing, and get them one of the regulars they've been trying to acquire this winter. Brandon Lowe would be a tremendous fit for Pittsburgh, even though it's only a one-year deal."

During his time with the Rays, Brandon Lowe earned himself two All-Star selections in 2019 and 2025.

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"Cherington finally proved he knows when to strike" - Pirates insider commends GM's work in Brandon Lowe trade deal

Soon after reports of Brandon Lowe's trade emerged, Rum Bunter's Emma Lingan assessed the move. While doing so, she commended general manager Ben Cherington's work.

"The Pirates added Lowe," Lingan wrote on Friday. "They added Mason Montgomery. They added Jake Mangum. They did it without touching the top tier of their farm system. They did it without mortgaging the future. They did it without pretending prospects alone were going to fix a historically bad offense. "For the first time in a long time, the Pirates didn’t act like a team afraid of its own shadow. This trade sends a message — not just to fans, but to the clubhouse. It tells Skenes and the rest of the core that this front office understands the urgency of the moment and that 2026 isn’t a theoretical year on a spreadsheet. It’s real. It’s now. After six long years, Cherington finally proved he knows when to strike"

Atlanta Braves v Pittsburgh Pirates - Source: Getty

Lowe, Montgomery and Mangum will take the field in a Pirates uniform for the first time when Spring Training begins in February 2026.

Edited by Raghav Mehta