Pirates’ playoff elimination makes Brandon Lowe decision their first major test of 2027 ambition

The Pittsburgh Pirates can officially stop pretending there is anything left to play for in 2026 beyond pride, development and perhaps finally finishing with a winning record.

Pittsburgh was eliminated from postseason contention Friday night when the San Diego Padres defeated the Miami Marlins, even after the Pirates rallied for an 8-5 win over the Kansas City Royals to get back to .500 at 77-77.

So, attention can now turn toward 2027. And one of the first questions the Pirates need to answer is what they intend to do about Brandon Lowe.

Lowe has been almost everything the Pirates could have hoped for when they acquired him. After another home run Friday, he's hitting .260 with a .819 OPS, 32 home runs and 91 RBI in 143 games. He leads the Pirates in homers and RBI, while no other Pittsburgh hitter has even reached 20 home runs.

For a franchise that spent years desperately searching for legitimate power, Lowe helped transform the entire complexion of the lineup. Now his contract is expiring — and, importantly, he isn't closing the door on Pittsburgh.

Lowe told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Colin Beazley that he instructed his agent not to bring him extension offers during the season because he didn't want contract negotiations distracting him from baseball. But when asked about potentially returning as a free agent, Lowe made his position pretty clear.

"[If] they want to talk, I'm all ears."

Well, they should want to talk. That's where this offseason becomes different from so many previous ones.

Brandon Lowe’s free agency will reveal whether Pirates actually believe their own 2027 expectations

The Pirates don't have to convince themselves that Lowe might fit. They don't have to project how his power will translate to PNC Park or wonder how he'll handle Pittsburgh. They've already seen it.

The larger issue, though, isn't simply whether Pittsburgh re-signs one player. It's what the decision says about 2027.

The Pirates have spent much of this season pointing toward progress. They have a young core that includes Paul Skenes, Konnor Griffin, Bubba Chandler, Oneil Cruz and others. They've improved offensively. They've spent stretches legitimately hanging around the Wild Card picture.

But improvement can't become another excuse for patience. If 2027 is really supposed to be the year this group takes the next step, the Pirates can't begin the offseason by subtracting their most productive power hitter and hoping somebody internally replaces 30-plus home runs.

Maybe Lowe's market ultimately becomes too rich. Maybe another club offers years or dollars Pittsburgh legitimately shouldn't match. But there needs to be a serious effort, because the Pirates finally found exactly the type of established hitter they've spent years saying they needed. Better yet, that hitter succeeded here and has publicly left the door open to staying.

Pittsburgh's postseason hopes are gone, so the evaluation of 2026 can begin. And one of the first ways the Pirates can demonstrate just how serious they are about making sure 2027 ends differently is by picking up the phone and seeing what it takes to keep Brandon Lowe.

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