Trading for this Rays slugger could help Pirates solve their biggest roster holes

The Pittsburgh Pirates need some help at first base and could definitely use more depth in the outfield corners. There should be plenty of options, both on the free agent and trade market, to help fill in these spots, as well as some outside-the-box ideas that could work.

One player who could instantaneously help the Pirates add depth at both positions is Tampa Bay Rays slugger Brandon Lowe. MLB Trade Rumors recently named him a trade candidate after his option was picked up in TB, and he could be what the Pirates are looking for.

Lowe is coming off yet another quality season, slashing .243/.311/.473 with a .335 wOBA and 123 wRC+. Known for his high-end power, Lowe went yard 21 times with an isolated slugging percentage of .229. Strikeouts have never been Lowe’s specialty, as he went down on strike three 26.4% of the time, just slightly better than his career average of 27.4%. Unfortunately, he also walked at an uncharacteristically low 7.8% rate. 2024 marks the first time since his 2019 rookie campaign he has drawn ball four in less than 10% of his plate appearances. On the plus side, his 12.4% barrel rate was the best since his 2021 season.

Why Brandon Lowe might have a chance to bounce back with Pirates

On top of that, Lowe could be even better with the stick. Aside from a barrel rate that ranked in the 84th percentile of hitters this year, Lowe had a .350 xwOBA, which was also in the 84th percentile. His .497 expected slugging percentage (xSLG%) ranked in the top 25 among his fellow batters with at least 400 plate appearances (top 91st percentile). The Tampa Bay Rays’ home park, Tropicana Field, is also one of the most pitcher-friendly environments in baseball, according to Baseball Savant. Lowe’s OPS on the road (.824) was nearly 100 points higher than at home (.738) this past season.

Lowe’s primary position is second base, but he isn’t regarded as a great defender there, with -8 defensive runs saved and -9 outs above average at the keystone. However, he logged 96 innings at first base this year, which is the position the Pirates arguably need the most help at right now. The sample size is small, but he did have +1 DRS and a +1.5 UZR/150 at first. Lowe has over 300 career innings in the outfield corners, yet another position of need for the Bucs. Unfortunately, the results aren’t particularly good there, as Lowe has -7 DRS and -3 OAA when playing on the grass.

Lowe is also an affordable player, money-wise. He is owed $10.5 million this season and has an $11.5 million team option for the 2026 season. Even for the Pirates, that’s in their price range. A Lowe deal might represent their biggest splash of the offseason, based on dollar amount, but he is certainly worth the price.

That’s a lot of upside, so what’s the downside? Lowe has struggled with health for most of his career. 2021 marks the only season of his big league tenure where he had more than 500 plate appearances. This past season, he had 425, which is still a noteworthy amount, but it might make a team weary of going after Lowe. However, Lowe's 400-450 plate appearances are more productive than 500+ plate appearances of most batters.

Lowe may also benefit from sliding over to first base health-wise. That would give the Pirates an option at first base and both outfield corners. Those are positions the Pirates desperately need more depth at. Plus, given his hitting prowess, Lowe would be a massive boost to the Bucs’ lineup. The slugger should be one of the Pirates’ top trade candidates this offseason.