Pirates' forgotten Brandon Lowe trade casualty resurfaces in surprising offseason deal

The Pittsburgh Pirates made one of their most successful trades in recent memory last December when they acquired Brandon Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays. Nearly a year later, a forgotten casualty of that deal is back in the headlines — and his latest move comes with an ironic reminder of Pittsburgh's looming offseason dilemma.

Former Pirates infielder Tsung-Che Cheng was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations on Thursday, marking his sixth MLB organization in less than a year.

Cheng's journey began when Pittsburgh designated him for assignment on Dec. 19, 2025, to clear space on its 40-man roster following the three-team trade that brought Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed reliever Mason Montgomery to Pittsburgh.

Since then, Cheng has bounced between the Rays, New York Mets, Washington Nationals and Red Sox before landing in Detroit. He appeared in 14 games for Boston in 2026, hitting .256 with five RBI, and posted a .241/.345/.390 slash line in 94 games at Triple-A Worcester.

It's hardly the career trajectory Pittsburgh envisioned when it signed Cheng out of Taiwan in 2019. But his latest transaction also highlights an interesting contradiction surrounding the Pirates' roster construction.

Pirates' Brandon Lowe trade could come full circle after just one season

To be clear, the Pirates made the right decision when they prioritized Lowe over Cheng. There isn't much room for debate there.

Lowe rewarded Pittsburgh with one of the best offensive seasons by a second baseman in franchise history, hitting .260 with 35 home runs and 96 RBI. His 35 homers established a new franchise single-season record, and his defensive improvement made him a Gold Glove finalist.

Montgomery, meanwhile, emerged as one of the Pirates' most dependable bullpen weapons, earning National League Reliever of the Month honors in September. Those contributions helped Pittsburgh finish 82-80, securing its first winning season since 2018.

Cheng was never going to provide anything approaching that level of production. His departure was a necessary roster-management decision, not some regrettable organizational blunder. But the irony is that Pittsburgh cleared out middle-infield depth to accommodate a proven second baseman, only to potentially find itself searching for another one just a year later.

Lowe officially entered free agency following the 2026 season, and retaining him could require a financial commitment well beyond the Pirates' usual comfort zone. General manager Ben Cherington has expressed interest in bringing Lowe back, but interest and willingness to spend are two very different things in Pittsburgh.

If Lowe signs elsewhere, the Pirates will have lost the centerpiece of their most impactful offseason acquisition in years. And unlike last December, when Cherington had a relatively straightforward opportunity to upgrade second base through a trade, there is no guarantee another comparable solution will become available.

Cheng wouldn't have solved that problem. Even if he had remained in the organization, Pittsburgh would still need a legitimate everyday second baseman capable of contributing offensively. But that's precisely why his latest move is such an interesting footnote.

The Pirates correctly sacrificed a small piece of organizational depth to acquire immediate major league production. The problem isn't that they moved on from Cheng. It's that they could allow their most significant upgrade to disappear after only one season.

Cheng's journey through six organizations illustrates just how quickly roster circumstances can change. Now, the Pirates face a much more consequential decision: Will they build on the success of the Lowe trade, or will they spend another offseason trying to replace the very player who helped make it successful?

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