Brandon Lowe’s future is one of the biggest questions hanging over the Pirates this offseason, but a Halloween post from a young fan gave Pittsburgh supporters a little jolt of optimism.
A Pirates fan tagged Lowe in an Instagram story showing a child dressed up in his Pirates uniform for Halloween, complete with a baseball card cutout around him. Lowe reposted it and added the caption, "Costume of the Year?" That small moment was enough to get fans talking, because it showed he noticed the gesture and appreciated it.
The timing matters because Lowe is now a free agent, and the Pirates would love to keep him in Pittsburgh after what he meant to the club in 2026. General manager Ben Cherington, manager Don Kelly and the players have all shown support for bringing him back, but there’s still no clarity on whether he’ll return.
Lowe turns 33 next July, and this is likely his last real chance to land a major free-agent deal. Pittsburgh can make him a qualifying offer worth $23.15 million for 2027, but Lowe would almost certainly turn that down in search of something in the three- or four-year range. The Pirates would probably prefer to keep him in the $15 million to $20 million range, a number that would make sense for a small-market team and still pay Lowe well.
That’s because he checks just about every box Pittsburgh could want. He brings left-handed power, handles second base well, gives the lineup a clubhouse leader and stays active in the community.
The Pirates acquired Lowe in a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 19, 2025, a deal that also brought in outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed relief pitcher Mason Montgomery. It turned out to be a major win for Pittsburgh, and Lowe delivered exactly what the team hoped for - and more.
In 2026, he was the best power-hitting second baseman in baseball, finishing with 35 home runs, a .493 slugging percentage and an .824 OPS. He also posted 96 RBI, 29 doubles and 152 hits, all career highs or near the top of his production.
A huge chunk of that damage came at PNC Park, where 20 of his 35 homers left the yard, almost all of them to right field, just as the Pirates wanted. His bat helped power Pittsburgh to a franchise-record 186 home runs in 2026, the most the team has ever hit in a season.
Lowe also came through in big spots. He had three multi-homer games, including on Opening Day, and delivered a walk-off home run off the right field foul pole against the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park on Aug. 19.
Even more impressive, his defense took a major step forward. After struggling badly in 2025, Lowe finished 2026 as a National League Gold Glove finalist.
His 35 home runs were the second-most in Pirates history for a player in his first season with the team, trailing only Brian Giles’ 39 in 1999. For Pittsburgh, that’s the kind of season that makes the offseason decision feel even bigger.
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