Lowe is going to get a ton of money.
Among the many tough decisions that the Pittsburgh Pirates have to make throughout the offseason, what they want to do with second baseman Brandon Lowe will be at the top of that list for many reasons.
Lowe enters this offseason as one of the most sought-after free agents on the market, especially offensively. There's even an argument to be made that he's one of the better players available, whether that be because the free agency class isn't that great or because he's been a consistent presence in multiple lineups over the past many years now.
It's tough to get a feel for what his market might look like because second basemen don't always get paid as well as some of the other top positions in Major League Baseball, but Lowe is a star from top to bottom offensively, and there's something to be said about that.
The Pirates are hopefully going to be the team that gives him exactly what he's looking for, but history suggests that we have to be a bit worried in this scenario. Even if the Pirates come in with an offer, there's a good chance that it's not going to be competitive.
Regarding how much money he could be looking at, it was recently noted that he could be a $20 million to $25 million per year guy, with the deal ranging from four to five years.
For Lowe, considering this is probably the last chance for him to really get a big contract, it would make sense if the veteran is looking for that at this stage of his career, so I wouldn't expect a pay cut for the Pirates.
“For the 32-year-old Lowe, this is his first and best chance at a big free-agent payday. He seems likely to pursue a longer-term agreement. A deal between $20-25 million per season for three or four years would make sense for Lowe. The Pirates can offer Lowe a qualifying offer, which MLB Spreadsheets projected at one-year, $23.1 million. If he declines that and signs elsewhere, the Pirates would receive a draft pick in compensation.
“Signing Lowe would likely require the Pirates to either extend past this year’s record payroll numbers or free up salary through a trade — although the CBA could have an impact, especially if Lowe does not sign anywhere before a lockout,” Colin Beazley wrote.
There is something to be said about Lowe wanting to stay in Pittsburgh, as that was a very good sign that he's at least willing to talk about a negotiation. Now, that doesn't mean the Pirates are going to be able to hand him $15 million per year for two seasons and think he's going to take it.
This offseason is going to be really weird with the expected lockout, so I'm curious to see how all that factors in, but if things go somewhat as planned, Lowe's going to be a guy who makes a lot of money, and rightfully so.
