Pirates Shouldn't Avoid Former Yankees Free Agent This Winter, but There's Better Out There

If the Pittsburgh Pirates end up losing Brandon Lowe, there's going to be a major need for a second baseman who can come in and swing it offensively. 

Unfortunately for the Pirates, there aren't many elite-hitting second basemen out there, and one could argue Lowe might be the best in baseball right now. Outside of guys like Ketel Marte and Jose Altuve, at least throughout their careers, Lowe is just as good as any second baseman in baseball.

There are also some other names available, but I'd argue that Lowe is better than them. 

Players like Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Gleyber Torres will be mentioned if the Pirates lose Lowe, though again, there's certainly an argument that he's much better than those two players at this stage of his career. 

The Chisholm one is interesting because he's younger and does some different things than Lowe does, and Torres is also a very good player in his own right, but it's tough to argue against what Lowe has done the past two seasons, hitting 66 home runs after 35 last season and 31 the year before.

However, Pittsburgh still has a chance to lose Lowe. It remains uncertain whether that will happen, but some are starting to connect the dots on other potential options the Pirates could pursue. 

The Athletic recently suggested that Torres could be one of those guys, naming Pittsburgh as a landing spot for the former New York Yankees second baseman.

“Torres’ .364 OBP this season was the highest of his career, though he played in only 96 games due to multiple oblique injuries. Even with the missed time, he was a solid performer at the plate for the Tigers the past two seasons. He’s a below-average defender at second base but his plate discipline makes him a strong asset at the top of a lineup. Salary comps: Jeff McNeil (4 years, $50 million); Jorge Polanco (2 years, $40 million); Ha-Seong Kim (1 year, $20 million)

“Best team fits: Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates Contract prediction: 2 years, $42 million,” Jim Bowden wrote.

If the Pirates were to end up with Torres, I wouldn't view that as a bad thing. However, it'll be a bit disappointing that they lost out on Lowe. 

At the end of the day, it comes down to money, so if the Pirates don't want to pay Lowe what he's looking for, a guy like Torres may end up in Pittsburgh.