Lowe needs to be in a Pirates jersey next year.
As the Pittsburgh Pirates prepare for the last week of the regular season, there’s a lot to take away from this year.
For one, it looks like the Pirates will finish above .500, and as crazy as that might sound, we should view it as a good thing.
I don’t hate the fact that the Pirates didn’t do enough over parts of the season and missed the playoffs, because I don’t really know if I expected them to make the postseason entering the year.
I felt this was a team with a chance to do so, and for about 155 games, it did exactly that. As for the last couple of games of the regular season, the Pirates are already eliminated, so it’ll be interesting to see which direction they go and whether all of their guys play.
Regardless, the Pirates are 79-77 now and have some questions to answer heading into what could be one of the most interesting offseasons in Major League Baseball history. Because of the expected lockout, there’s a lot to consider, and that’s going to affect free agents like Brandon Lowe.
Bleacher Report recently suggested that Lowe might be gone, adding that his 32 home runs and nearly 300 total bases would be a major loss.
While that’s possible, it’s also important to recognize that Lowe recently said he’d be willing to sign an extension in Pittsburgh.
“Most of Pittsburgh's roster will be back in 2027, but presumably losing Brandon Lowe's 32 home runs and 272 total bases in free agency is going to be a tough pill to swallow.
“He's the biggest reason the Pirates were so much more potent on offense than last season. The good news is they don't need to replace him with another powerful second baseman, as their DH spot has been a revolving door ever since they gave Marcell Ozuna the boot. They could cement Nick Gonzales at 2B and hope to add some home runs either at third base or designated hitter,” Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report wrote.
I don’t know how the Pirates could look at Lowe, as I’ve said many times now, and think that they don’t need to bring him back.
It’s not that he’s a perfect player who is going to be a superstar for the next 10 years, but this is a guy who has done nothing but hit for a decade.
If the Pirates plan to continue competing at a high level over the next couple of seasons, there’s no reason Lowe shouldn’t be on the roster. He’s an elite second baseman who can swing it with the best of them, something a team like this needs.
