Not every baseball player is excited to come to Pittsburgh, especially one who is used to winning.
Brandon Lowe, though, seems happy about being traded to the Pirates, even though they have had 29 losing seasons in the last 33 years and finished last in the National League Central in 2025. Lowe, meanwhile, has been to the postseason three times and been selected to two All-Star Games.
The second baseman was acquired last Friday from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team deal that included the Houston Astros.
“Other than the history of Pittsburgh and everything there, it's a storied franchise, it's probably one of the best home ballparks in baseball,” Lowe said Monday during a video conference with Pittsburgh-area media. “So it's pretty exciting to go into that and play there.
“As for the team that's currently there, I feel like there's a real opportunity there for a deep push and some playoff baseball in Pittsburgh. The pitching staff is legit. The hitters, they have some extremely talented guys that play in the field, and I'm excited to kind of come and help in any way that I can."
The Pirates are hoping Lowe can provide a lift to an offense that finished last in MLB in runs scored, home runs, and OPS this year. Lowe hit 31 home runs in 134 games with a .256/.307/.477 slash line.
Lowe should seemingly thrive as a pull hitter at PNC Park, which features the 21-foot Clemente Wall in right field and the Allegheny River beyond it. The 31-year-old has played just two games there, going 1 for 6.
“I've not been around very much of it, but I've talked with a few guys on the team, (right fielder Bryan) Reynolds being one that I reached out to quite a bit,” Lowe said. “It seems like it's going to be a good fit. The dimensions of the ballpark play into where my power alleys lie, and you know, something about seeing a ball going flying into the river seems very, very exciting."
Pirates fans are happy about the addition of Lowe, with general manager Ben Cherington trading for an established player rather than dealing them away for prospects. And Lowe believes the warm reception will make the transition to a new team easier, having spent his entire professional career with the Rays since they selected him in the third round of the 2015 amateur draft from the University of Maryland.
“There were a lot of things, emotions, closing the Tampa chapter, and everything, but to see the fan base and to see everybody in Pittsburgh kind of get so excited about the trade and everything really made things a lot easier and kind of made me excited about the move and the new opportunity,” Lowe said.