The Pirates are staring at an unsettled spot at second base for 2027, and while Brandon Lowe remains the obvious name to chase, Gleyber Torres has surfaced as a credible fallback.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic pegged Torres as a free-agent match for Pittsburgh, and the profile is easy to see. Torres has been one of the better second basemen in the game since debuting with the Yankees in 2018, earning three All-Star nods along the way - in 2018 and 2019 with New York, then again in 2025 with the Detroit Tigers. He’s brought real pop to the position, too, with a track record of being a strong hitter.
His 2026 season had plenty to like. Torres hit .260/.364/.363 with a .727 OPS, piling up 93 hits, 13 doubles, eight home runs, 38 RBI and 57 walks against 81 strikeouts in 96 games. He also set a personal best with a .364 on-base percentage, even though two stints on the injured list for a left oblique strain kept him out for more than 60 games.
From a fit standpoint, he’d give Pittsburgh another veteran bat near the top of the order and could pair well with shortstop Konnor Griffin, who will most likely be the Pirates’ leadoff hitter in 2027. Torres isn’t known as a standout defender at second - he posted +3 defensive runs saved and -5 outs above average - but the Pirates have already shown they can help reshape that side of the game. Lowe went from the worst defensive second baseman in 2025 to a National League Gold Glove finalist in 2026.
Still, the Pirates’ first priority looks clear: bring Lowe back. He was their best power-hitting second baseman in baseball last season, launching 35 home runs while posting a .493 slugging percentage and an .824 OPS. He’s also the player the team appears most eager to keep, with his value extending beyond the box score.
Torres would not come cheap. He made $15 million in 2025 and then $22 million with the qualifying offer in 2026, and even with a multi-year deal potentially softening the annual hit, he’d still likely land in the $15 million to $20 million range. That’s roughly the territory Lowe could command as well.
If Lowe walks, Pittsburgh would likely pivot to Nick Gonzales at second base and spend its free-agent money elsewhere rather than commit that kind of money to Torres. So while Torres fits on paper, and Bowden’s assessment makes sense, he still feels more like an option than a likely answer for the Pirates in 2027.
In Other News...
Pirates Fans Just Got Another Painful Reminder About The Archer Trade
The Chris Archer deal has become one of those trade reminders Pirates fans cannot quite escape. When Pittsburgh sent Tyler Glasnow to Tampa Bay in 2018, the hope was that Archer would stabilize the rotation, but the long view has looked far different. Glasnow grew into a frontline starter with the Rays before moving on to the Dodgers, while Archers time in Pittsburgh never matched the expectations that came with the move.
It also fits a larger pattern that has made Tampa Bay so difficult to keep pace with. The Rays have built a reputation for targeting talent in trades and then getting more out of it, while the Pirates have spent the years since trying to sort through the fallout of roster decisions that have not always aged well. For Pittsburgh, the Archer trade remains a painful example of how one big swing can echo for a long time. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Could Face A New October Problem Under MLB's Proposal
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The proposal is still part of collective bargaining talks and nothing is final yet, but the direction of the discussion matters for a team like the Pirates. A format that could alter opponent selection in the first round, then stretch a later series even longer, would reward depth and flexibility in ways that expose any bullpen shortfall. For Pittsburgh, the question is not just whether it can get back to the postseason, but whether it would be equipped for whatever version of October baseball arrives next. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Rotation Suddenly Hinges On Mitch Kellers Long Road Back
Mitch Kellers season is already over, and for the Pirates that shifts the focus from a late-year rotation piece to a long recovery that will stretch deep into the offseason. The right-hander was moved to the 60-day injured list after a shoulder injury that did not require surgery, but still figures to keep him off a mound for quite a while as Pittsburgh plots its plans for next year.
The club is expecting Keller to resume throwing late in the offseason and eventually rejoin the rotation, though the path back is the story now. Young outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez also finished the year on the injured list with a hamstring strain, but he says he is healthy and plans to sharpen up in the Dominican Winter League before the next season begins. [Read more 🡒]