Ben Cherington said all the right things about Brandon Lowe. That’s exactly why Pirates fans should be paying close attention.
Speaking with Aiden Stepansky of MLB.com about Lowe’s impending free agency, the Pittsburgh general manager praised the veteran second baseman’s value in every corner of the organization.
"It's gone remarkably well on and off the field, " Cherington said. "I mean, he's been everything we could have hoped for as a player and also in the clubhouse, and we know how his teammates feel about him. They express that, it's good."
Cherington also made it clear that bringing Lowe back would be the preferred result.
"It would be a great outcome if he's a Pirate next year," Cherington said. "We'll have some things to talk about and plenty of time in October to have more conversation with him about that."
Then came the line that changes the tone.
"We just need to learn more about what opportunities are out there for us."
That’s the part that hangs in the air. It may simply be a front office refusing to negotiate in public. But in Pittsburgh, with the Pirates’ track record, it also sounds a lot like the opening of an offseason explanation.
Lowe just finished 2026 hitting .260/.331/.493 with 35 home runs, 96 RBI and 29 doubles. He led the Pirates in both homers and RBI, finished with 4.9 fWAR and turned in what may have been the best defensive season of his career at second base.
The fit has been obvious. His teammates want him back.
Manager Don Kelly has repeatedly talked up the stability and leadership Lowe brings. Lowe himself has left the door open, saying he would be "all ears" if the Pirates wanted to discuss a return.
So what exactly still needs to be learned?
At this point, the answer looks like money.
Lowe is 32 and heading into free agency for the first time after one of the strongest seasons of his career. He has every reason to test the market, and Pittsburgh should not expect him to take some massive discount after only one season with the club.
Other teams will come calling, too. That’s what happens when a player hits 35 home runs and reaches the open market.
That’s why Cherington’s “opportunities” comment lands the way it does. In September, it can sound harmless. By the time the offseason winds down, it can become the first sentence in the explanation for why a team let one of its best hitters walk.
The Pirates liked Lowe. They wanted him back.
They talked. The market got too expensive.
They found another path. They decided to spread the money around elsewhere and trust internal options or multiple additions to cover the loss.
Fans in Pittsburgh have heard some version of that story before.
The Pirates just went 82-80, their first winning season since 2018, but still missed the postseason. This winter can’t be about rearranging the same pieces and hoping the result changes in 2027. The priority has to be keeping the players who worked and adding more around them.
Lowe was one of the clear hits. He gave Pittsburgh the middle-of-the-order power it has spent years trying to find.
He helped the defense. He fit the clubhouse.
And unlike most offseason possibilities, the Pirates already know he can produce in this roster and in PNC Park.
Letting him leave could end up costing just as much, if not more, if Pittsburgh has to piece together multiple moves to replace the power, defense and leadership he provided on his own.
That doesn’t mean the Pirates should throw caution out the window. There’s real risk in paying a player entering his age-33 season. But after spending a full year saying how badly they need real offensive talent, the Pirates can’t act surprised when keeping one of their best hitters comes with a real price tag.
Cherington called a Lowe return "a great outcome." Now the front office has to prove it means that.
Because if October turns into a search for cheaper “opportunities” instead of a serious push to keep Lowe, the excuse may already be sitting there in plain sight.
In Other News...
Pirates Have An Internal Answer To A Costly Offensive Problem
The Pirates spent much of 2026 chasing fixes for an offense that too often stalled against left-handed pitching, and the issue lingered as one of the more costly flaws in an uneven season. Even with injuries undercutting the clubs postseason hopes, there were still pockets of promise, as a few hitters stayed healthy and productive enough to give the front office a clearer picture of where the lineup might improve.
The encouraging part for Pittsburgh is that the answer may already be in the organization, with Konnor Griffin, Oneil Cruz, Esmerlyn Valdez, Bryan Reynolds and Rafael Flores Jr. among the players who showed the kind of potential that could matter most in 2027. The challenge now is turning that upside into consistent production against lefties, because the Pirates do not need a theoretical solution as much as a lineup that can finally hold up when the matchup turns unfavorable. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Still Have One Roster Hole They Cant Ignore This Winter
The Pirates took a step forward in the standings this past season, but the bigger picture is still hard to ignore: October remains out of reach, now for the 11th straight year. Even with the progress, the roster still showed some of the same flaws that have lingered through much of the rebuild, especially when it came to matching up with left-handed pitching and generating enough impact from the right side of the plate.
There is also a more specific concern hanging over the offseason: third base does not yet look settled, and the defensive side of the position remains a question. Pittsburgh could try to address that through a trade or in free agency, and it feels like one of those spots that can quietly shape how competitive the club is next year, even if it does not grab as many headlines as the power issue. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Prospect Has A Roberto Clemente Connection Fans Will Want To See
Aiden Ruiz is already giving Pirates fans a reason to pay attention beyond the draft slot. The infielder, taken in the second round of the 2026 MLB Draft, has built a reputation around his defense at shortstop, and he also carries a connection to Roberto Clemente that fits naturally with Pittsburghs long memory of the Hall of Famer. Ruiz was the fourth overall pick in the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League draft, adding another layer to a profile that has started to draw notice.
That connection runs through both his Puerto Rican heritage and the setting itself, since Ruiz played in the leagues stadium and now could keep building his game in winter ball with Gigantes de Carolina. For the Pirates, the bigger picture is simple enough: a young infielder with defensive upside, a meaningful baseball tie to Clemente, and a professional debut expected to come in the 2027 season. [Read more 🡒]