Time will only tell if the Pirates are making the right moves.
It is genuinely unfortunate that the Pittsburgh Pirates have to continue answering questions that wouldn't need to be answered if they just ran things the way everybody wants them to.
That's something that's going to happen this offseason with veteran Brandon Lowe, who finds himself in a position to get paid. Lowe is a free agent this offseason, and all numbers suggest that he deserves to be paid very handsomely.
Whether the Pirates would actually do that is the question that needs answering. It's unfortunate things have gotten to this point, but it doesn't look like they're going to change anytime soon.
The only way things can change is if the Pirates come out and spend the money they have to in all areas.
With a guy like Lowe, there's seriously no reason why they shouldn't pay him.
Considering their history in situations like this, one Pittsburgh reporter recently spoke about it.
He added that while paying Lowe seems like an easy decision, they likely won't do it.
“Like attracts like. What goes up must come down. Life moves in cycles, and Bob Nutting will choose the cheaper alternative. That is why I have zero confidence the Pirates will make an honest attempt to re-sign slugging second baseman Brandon Lowe.
“At best, they will Lowe-ball him. At worst, they won’t even make an offer, other than a qualifying offer of one year at around $23 million (which will bring them a draft pick if Lowe signs a big deal with another team),” Joe Starkey wrote.
I'm not saying that the Pirates need to give Lowe $100 million-plus and call it a day, but they absolutely need to make a competitive offer to the veteran.
I have continued to say that I don't know how they could look at what he's done throughout this year and think they don't need him next season. There's a reason why the Pirates' campaign went better than usual, and guys like Lowe are a big reason why.
If the Pirates let him walk, they'd need to find a guy who can leave the yard 30-plus teams at second base. There aren't many of those players in Major League Baseball.
