Sep 21, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays second base Brandon Lowe (8) runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Boston Red Sox during the sixth inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Dave Nelson-Imagn Images

Breaking Down Why Rays Should Not Trade Brandon Lowe This Winter

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Oct 4, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Rays have started up their offseason and will be starting to plan what the winter will look like. Due to the change in ownership, this offseason will be an interesting one to monitor for the team, but they will be able to go in a couple of different directions.

Coming into the 2025 campaign, the Rays knew that it was going to be a challenging season. They team was displaced from their home at Tropicana Field, which resulted in them having to play in a minor league stadium and forcing adjustments to their schedule.

Despite some of the adversity, the team got off to a powerful start to the year and looked like a playoff contender. Unfortunately, after the schedule became heavy with road games in the summer, the team fizzled.

Even though it wasn’t an ideal campaign, there were a lot of bright spots for the team, especially in the lineup. While the emergence of Junior Caminero received most of the attention this was a team that had multiple players in the lineup perform well. However, due to some of the uncertainty about the offseason plan, there could be a couple of veterans who might be dealt this winter.

Why Rays Shouldn’t Trade Brandon Lowe

After what was a bit of an up-and-down season for the franchise, one of their top performances was that of second baseman Brandon Lowe. The 31-year-old was able to make his second All-Star team in 2025 and emerged as one of the best second basemen in the league.

This year, Lowe slashed .256/.307/.477 with 31 home runs and 83 RBI. He certainly deserved to be named to the All-Star team, and he was a name that popped up in trade rumors as the team started to struggle in July.

There is a lot to like about Lowe's game and his ability to play multiple positions. He will undoubtedly be a name mentioned in trade rumors this winter but keeping him might behoove the Rays.

Due to some of their success in the first half of the year, there is reason to believe that Tampa Bay can be a contender in 2026. This is a franchise that generally doesn’t struggle for too many years in a row, and after missing the playoffs for two campaigns straight, they will be looking to bounce back.

Even though he could bring back a sizable haul in a potential trade, the team would be wise to keep him this winter and potentially re-evaluate at the trade deadline. The 31-year-old has had some trouble staying healthy, but he can be a great slugger in the lineup.