Overview
- Pittsburgh acquired Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-hander Mason Montgomery in a three-team swap with the Rays and Astros, sending right-hander Mike Burrows to Houston as Tampa Bay received prospects.
- Lowe, a two-time All-Star, hit 31 home runs with a .256/.307/.477 line in 2025 and says PNC Park’s dimensions suit his left-handed power.
- He enters the final year of his contract at $11.5 million for 2026, offering immediate impact with limited team control beyond next season.
- The Pirates addressed a bottom-tier lineup by dealing from rotation depth, retaining frontline starters such as Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller.
- ESPN analyst Bradford Doolittle graded the trade an A- and sees a path toward wild-card contention, and GM Ben Cherington indicated more lineup help could be coming as outside reports speculate on targets like Ketel Marte.