Jeff Passan's Brandon Lowe verdict should be a wake-up call for Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates are coming off their first winning season since 2018, and expectations are understandably higher heading into 2027. With a young core that includes Paul Skenes and Konnor Griffin, there's reason to believe the best could still be ahead for this team.

But according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Pirates' perfect offseason move isn't some blockbuster trade or splashy free-agent acquisition. It's something considerably less exciting: re-signing a player who was already on their roster.

In his recent column identifying the ideal free-agent moves for teams to watch this offseason, Passan made his recommendation for Pittsburgh remarkably straightforward: "Re-sign second baseman Brandon Lowe."

And that's where things get uncomfortable. Because bringing back Lowe wouldn't actually make the Pirates better than they were in 2026; it would simply prevent them from getting worse.

Re-signing Brandon Lowe should be the Pirates' starting point, not their entire offseason strategy

Lowe was one of the driving forces behind Pittsburgh's offensive improvement in 2026, hitting 35 home runs and driving in 96 runs while emerging as one of the most productive power hitters in baseball. His arrival helped transform a lineup that had finished dead last in the majors in offensive production the previous season.

Now, after finally finding the kind of impact hitter they'd been missing for years, the Pirates are facing the possibility of losing him after just one season. And while Passan correctly identifies retaining Lowe as Pittsburgh's ideal move, the bigger takeaway is what that recommendation says about the organization's offseason priorities.

The Pirates can't reasonably expect to improve on their 82-win season without first finding a way to preserve the production that helped them get there.

Sure, Skenes could rebound from a relatively disappointing 2026 campaign. Griffin could make an even greater impact over a full, healthy season. Younger players could continue developing, and the starting rotation could once again establish itself as one of the team's strengths.

But none of those possibilities automatically replaces 35 home runs. And Pittsburgh's offense wasn't exactly a finished product even with Lowe in the lineup. The Pirates averaged 5.32 runs per game before the All-Star break last season, only to see that number plummet to 3.71 in the second half.

That dramatic decline exposed just how fragile their offensive progress remained, despite setting a franchise home run record. Take Lowe out of that equation, and an already inconsistent lineup suddenly looks considerably more vulnerable.

Of course, there's more than one way to replace his production. The Pirates could theoretically find another impact bat through free agency or the trade market. But doing so would require spending valuable resources just to get back to where they already were, before even addressing the other weaknesses that kept them from becoming legitimate playoff contenders.

Despite acknowledging that existing contracts and arbitration raises would affect the Pirates' approach, Ben Cherington insisted this week at the GM Meetings that he didn't feel the organization was financially "hamstrung or constrained." If the Pirates truly have the financial flexibility to improve their roster, retaining their most productive power hitter should be treated as a priority — not as an unrealistic luxury.

The Pirates have spent too many years operating as though simply maintaining a competitive roster represents an accomplishment in itself. That's not going to be good enough anymore. Even if Cherington successfully re-signs Lowe, Pittsburgh would still need to address an uncertain bullpen, improve its performance against left-handed pitching and find additional offensive consistency.

Those needs don't disappear simply because the Pirates retain their second baseman. And with a potential lockout looming in early December, the organization doesn't have unlimited time to sort everything out.

The Pirates spent years searching for a hitter like Lowe. They finally found one, and their offense immediately improved. Now they have an opportunity to build something meaningful around that foundation. But they can't start building the next floor while simultaneously tearing out the one they just finished.

Re-signing Lowe would be a significant victory for the front office. It would also be the bare minimum required to protect the progress Pittsburgh made in 2026. And if the Pirates are genuinely serious about taking the next step in 2027, the perfect offseason can't begin and end with keeping a player they already had.

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