Pirates Make Blockbuster Trade With Rays, Astros

He earned an All-Star nod for his performance, just the second of his career. He earned his first as a rookie in 2019, slashing .270/.336/.514 for an OPS of .850 in 82 games, including 17 home runs.

Lowe is an eight-year MLB veteran who has had great success from the plate and has served as the Rays second baseman since 2020, a position the Pirates have now upgraded.

He slashed .247/.326/.481 for an OPS of .807 in 745 games since 2018, with 657 hits, 126 doubles, 12 triples, 157 home runs, 446 RBI and 282 walks to 817 strikeouts.

His time in Tampa Bay puts him amongst the best in franchise history. He ranks second in slugging percentage, third in home runs, fourth in OPS, seventh in RBI and on-base percentage and eighth in hits, walks and batting average.

Lowe brings the Pirates what they desperately need, which is power. The Pirates finished last in home runs (117), as well as slugging percentage (.350) and OPS (.655) in baseball last season.

He ha hit more than 20 home runs in the four seasons he's played more than 100 games in and hit 31 home runs last season, 11 more than Oneil Cruz, who led the Pirates with 20 home runs.

Lowe is also a left-handed batter,which is something the Pirates are looking for this offseason and which would give him an edge at PNC Park, with a right field wall that is closer than the left field wall.

The concerns for trading for Lowe is his injury history, as his 134 games last season were the most he's played outside of 2021, where he featured in 149 games.

He had back issues in 2022 that limited him to 65 games and that kept him out for a month in 2023. He also fractured his right knee cap after fouling a ball off it later that September and missed another month of play in 2024 with a right oblique strain.

Lowe also ranked as one of the worst defensive second baseman in baseball last season, with his -10 runs prevented and -13 outs above average, second worst at his position andonly ahead of Kansas City Royals' Jonathan India.

He also makes $11.5 million for a club option in 2026, marking the end of his contract he signed back in 2019.

What Magnum and Montgomery Bring the Pirates

The Pirates need a left fielder heading into 2026 and Magnum started 46 of 63 games he played there as a rookie in 2025 for the Rays.

Magnum also started 26 of 32 games in right field and started 30 of 41 contests in center field, with 118 games played in 2025, giving the Pirates a versatile player in a position group they are thin in.

He also had success from the plate, slashing .296/.330/.368 for an OPS of .698, with 120 hits, 18 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 40 RBI and 19 walks to 64 strikeouts.

The Pirates also needed a left-handed relief pitcher and Montgomery provides that as well, making him their second lefty reliever addition. They signed Gregory Soto to a one-year, $7.75 millon contract on Dec. 15.

Montgomery made 57 relief appearances for the Rays in 2025, with a 1-3 record, 5.67 ERA in 46.0 innings pitched, 10 holds, 63 strikeouts to 27 walks, a .277 batting average allowed and a 1.65 WHIP.

Pirates Lose Starting Pitching Option in Burrows

The Astros had previously reported targeted Burrows this offseason and with the Pirates willing to move starting pitching for hitting, he was a pitcher they were willing to part with.

He had a 2-4 record in 19 starts over 23 appearances with the Pirates in 2025 as a rookie, with a 3.94 ERA over 96.0 innings pitched 97 strikeouts to 31 walks, a .243 batting average allowed and a 1.24 WHIP.

Burrows excelled with his changeup in 2025, earning a 43.1% whiff rate on it and keeping his batting average allowed (BAA) to .147, the lowest of his pitches.

He also used the pitch to great effect against left-handed batters, at a 34.5% usage rate, compared to a 13.5% usage rate against right-handed batters.

Burrows also had success with his slider, throwing it mostly to right-handed batters at a 31.0% usage rate, compared to 7.2% agaisnt lefties.

He held opposing hitters to a .203 batting average against his slider and also produced a 26.8% whiff rate.

Burrows had a +9 offspeed run value, which Baseball Savant ranks as "Great" and in the 97th percentile.

He struggled more so with his fast ball as batters had a .326 hitting percentage and a .529 slugging percentage.

His curveball, which was one of his best pitchers in the minor leagues, also wasn't effective with the Pirates, with a .318 BAA and a .500 slugging percentage.

Burrows has had an injury history, undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023, that kept him out through a majority of the 2024 season.

The Astros get a young arm that could develop into a strong pitcher for years to come, plus, with six years of team control as well.

Pittsburgh still has the likes of Braxton Ashcraft, Hunter Barco and Bubba Chandler that made their debut last season, so they have youthful pitching in their ranks.