The Pirates have had plenty of reasons to like the Brandon Lowe trade since December, and Houston’s latest move only sharpens the edge on what Pittsburgh pulled off.
On Tuesday, the Astros optioned Mike Burrows to Triple-A Sugar Land, a reminder that the three-team deal has tilted even further toward Pittsburgh. The Pirates sent one pitcher from a crowded group and got back three pieces, with Lowe as the centerpiece and Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery adding more value. Burrows went to Houston, while the Rays received Jacob Melton and Anderson Brito from the Astros.
At the time of the trade, Houston had a real case for feeling good about its side. Burrows had just put together a promising rookie season with Pittsburgh, finishing with a 3.94 ERA, a 24.1% strikeout rate and a 3.27 ERA after the All-Star break. He also came with six years of club control and looked like a possible back-end rotation answer.
That version of Burrows hasn’t shown up in Houston. Through 94 2/3 innings, he owns a 5.99 ERA, has battled a major home-run issue and has seen his strikeout rate fall to 17.7%. His latest outing - 10 runs allowed against the Washington Nationals - pushed the Astros into making the move.
For Pittsburgh, though, Lowe has delivered exactly the kind of impact bat the lineup needed. Even with the usual swing-and-miss that comes with his game, he has brought real punch to second base, entering this stretch with 21 home runs and 64 RBI. For an offense that spent years searching for legitimate power, Lowe has changed the look of the order.
Mangum has only strengthened the Pirates’ end of the deal. He wasn’t the headline name, but his .305/.358/.362 line and contact ability have made him a useful depth piece, especially with Oneil Cruz, Konnor Griffin and Spencer Horwitz all missing time because of injury.
Montgomery adds another layer, too. He gives Pittsburgh a controllable left-handed arm with upper-90s velocity, the kind of bullpen depth teams usually have to chase on the open market.
The larger idea behind the move was simple: turn pitching surplus into offense after Pittsburgh finished last in MLB with 583 runs in 2025. That’s exactly what the Pirates did, and they currently have the third-most runs in MLB in 2026.
Burrows could still bounce back, but right now the Pirates turned one struggling starter into Lowe, Mangum and Montgomery. That looks like a steal.
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