Murf Gray’s first pro season may have given the Pirates something they’ve been short on: a real reason to rethink how they handle Brandon Lowe in free agency.
Gray, Pittsburgh’s 2025 competitive balance-round pick, didn’t just hold his own in the minors. He blasted through the system and finished with a .305/.402/.567 line, 32 home runs, 97 RBI and 100 runs scored over 126 games across three levels in 2026. He ended the year at Double-A Altoona, and there’s already a path for him to open 2027 at Triple-A Indianapolis.
That kind of rise changes the conversation at third base. If the Pirates see Gray as their long-term answer there, they suddenly have a different way to build the infield - and a different way to think about where their money goes.
Nick Gonzales is part of that picture too. He hit .303 in 2026 and proved he can be an effective major league hitter, even if third base didn’t go smoothly for him. A move back to second base would not guarantee better defense, since he previously struggled there as well, but it could be a more natural fit than what Pittsburgh had him doing last season.
And if Gray really is the future at third, that could make Lowe easier to walk away from. Lowe’s 35 home runs and 96 RBI were a massive part of Pittsburgh’s improved offense, and replacing that kind of production won’t be simple for a club that has long had trouble developing dependable power.
Gray’s 32 minor-league homers don’t promise the same thing at the major league level, and his defense at third still needs work. Even so, his blend of contact, pop and speed through the system makes him a legitimate piece of the Pirates’ long-term plan.
There’s also a bigger roster question hanging over all of this: what would Pittsburgh do with the money it saves?
The Pirates still need another reliable starting pitcher, especially with Mitch Keller coming back from injury and uncertainty at the back end of the rotation. The bullpen needs help, and the lineup could still use another established bat instead of leaning only on internal growth.
The best-case scenario is obvious. Pittsburgh keeps Lowe and keeps developing Gray, giving itself more offense than it usually has to work with. But if Lowe’s price climbs beyond what the Pirates are willing to pay, Gray’s breakout gives them a chance to shift resources elsewhere without giving up the idea of future production at third base.
That only works if the savings actually go somewhere. If Gray’s emergence is the excuse to let Lowe go, the Pirates can’t treat that money like it vanished. It has to show up on the roster.
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Pittsburgh did try to patch things together during the year, and it wasnt all bad news on the mound. Mason Montgomery settled in as the closer and gave the club a bright spot in the back end, which at least gives the front office something to build around. Still, with the offseason arriving, the Pirates know they need more than internal growth if they want to protect a playoff push next time. [Read more 🡒]