No one could argue with adding a money-in-the-bank 25-plus home runs and 65-ish RBIs to the Pirates' lineup, as they just did in acquiring Brandon Lowe as part of a three-team trade that sent Mike Burrows to the Astros as the other main movement.
Handful of additional quick thoughts:
• Lowe's 31, and he has a lengthy, unfortunate history of injury, including this past season in which he slashed .256/.307/.477 with 31 home runs and 83 RBIs for the Rays despite being limited to 134 games by ankle, foot and oblique issues. He's also had recurring back trouble, though none this past season. It's a health risk, if not a major one.
• Burrows can't become a free agent until 2031. Lowe will be one after the coming season. Massive variable in these types of trades. Don't just compare head-to-head.
• Have to trade Nick Gonzales now, right? Can't imagine he'd be thrilled being capped as a bench player at age 26. Fiercely proud and competitive type.
• Mitch Keller stays. Unthinkable now that he'd be traded, as Burrows ranked third among the 2025 starters who'd been expected to return in that role for 2026. Can't just lay all the innings on Paul Skenes and hope every single youngster holds up for 30-plus starts.
• Payroll, payroll, payroll: Lowe's making $11.5 million in the coming season. That basically makes this a plus-$10 million acquisition. If Keller stays, and the payroll makes it up into the range of $95 million, as I'm expecting, that leaves ... eh, around $13 million still to spend. The new projection for 2026, once all arbitration cases are closed: $82.1 million.
THE ASYLUM
DK: Lowe trade ramifications
No one could argue with adding a money-in-the-bank 25-plus home runs and 65-ish RBIs to the Pirates' lineup, as they just did in acquiring Brandon Lowe as part of a three-team trade that sent Mike Burrows to the Astros as the other main movement.
Handful of additional quick thoughts:
• Lowe's 31, and he has a lengthy, unfortunate history of injury, including this past season in which he slashed .256/.307/.477 with 31 home runs and 83 RBIs for the Rays despite being limited to 134 games by ankle, foot and oblique issues. He's also had recurring back trouble, though none this past season. It's a health risk, if not a major one.
• Burrows can't become a free agent until 2031. Lowe will be one after the coming season. Massive variable in these types of trades. Don't just compare head-to-head.
• Have to trade Nick Gonzales now, right? Can't imagine he'd be thrilled being capped as a bench player at age 26. Fiercely proud and competitive type.
• Mitch Keller stays. Unthinkable now that he'd be traded, as Burrows ranked third among the 2025 starters who'd been expected to return in that role for 2026. Can't just lay all the innings on Paul Skenes and hope every single youngster holds up for 30-plus starts.
• Payroll, payroll, payroll: Lowe's making $11.5 million in the coming season. That basically makes this a plus-$10 million acquisition. If Keller stays, and the payroll makes it up into the range of $95 million, as I'm expecting, that leaves ... eh, around $13 million still to spend. The new projection for 2026, once all arbitration cases are closed: $82.1 million.
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