Pirates get Brandon Lowe in 3-team trade with Rays, Astros

Billy Heyen

Pirates get Brandon Lowe in 3-team trade with Rays, Astros image

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been rumored in a lot of deals so far this offseason.

On Friday, they finally pulled off their first big one as part of a three-team trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros. Brandon Lowe is coming to Pittsburgh.

The details began trickling out midday on Friday in various reports, and the indications are that the deal isn't quite finalized.

But this is what The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal has reported as of 1 p.m. ET on Friday:

  • Pirates get
    • Brandon Lowe
    • Mason Montgomery
    • Jake Magnum
  • Astros get
    • Mike Burrows
  • Rays get
    • ​​​​​​​ Jacob Melton
    • Anderson Brito

MORE: The Mets keep taking players from the Yankees

The highlight of the trade is Lowe, the power-hitting second baseman who should slug plenty of home runs batting from the left side for the Pirates.

Magnum is also an MLB-ready player for Pittsburgh, a slap-hitting outfielder with lots of speed.

Montgomery is a lefty pitcher who has thrown in 66 MLB games.

Burrows has pitched 24 games in the majors for the Pirates with a 3.90 ERA and goes to the Astros.

Melton made it to the majors for the first time in 2025 with Houston, batting just.157 in 70 at bats. Brito is a 21-year old starting pitcher prospect out of the Astros system.

It wouldn't be surprising for the deal to add one or two more parts, but that's likely about what it'll look like in its final form.

It appears the Pirates have done well here. Lowe should be a leading presence for a lineup that sorely needed more thump. Pittsburgh's offseason of improvement is now underway. 

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