The Pirates’ deal for Brandon Lowe last December looked like a clear win from the start, but one small piece of that transaction has now resurfaced in a way that throws Pittsburgh’s offseason into sharper focus.
Former Pirates infielder Tsung-Che Cheng was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations on Thursday, giving him his sixth MLB organization in less than a year.
Cheng’s latest move traces back to Dec. 19, 2025, when Pittsburgh designated him for assignment to clear room on its 40-man roster after the three-team trade that brought Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed reliever Mason Montgomery to the Pirates. Since then, Cheng has moved from the Rays to the Mets to the Nationals to the Red Sox before landing in Detroit.
In Boston, Cheng got into 14 games in 2026 and hit .256 with five RBI. At Triple-A Worcester, he posted a .241/.345/.390 line in 94 games.
That’s a long way from what Pittsburgh had in mind when it signed Cheng out of Taiwan in 2019. But his latest stop also serves as a reminder of how quickly roster decisions can circle back on a team.
To be clear, the Pirates made the right call in choosing Lowe over Cheng. There’s not much argument there.
Lowe delivered one of the best offensive seasons by a second baseman in franchise history, batting .260 with 35 home runs and 96 RBI. His 35 homers set a new Pirates single-season record, and his improved defense made him a Gold Glove finalist.
Montgomery also gave Pittsburgh real value, becoming one of the most reliable arms in the bullpen and earning National League Reliever of the Month honors in September. Those performances helped the Pirates finish 82-80 and post their first winning season since 2018.
Cheng was never going to match that kind of impact. His exit was a roster move, plain and simple, not a mistake the Pirates will spend years regretting. Still, the irony is hard to miss: Pittsburgh cleared middle-infield depth to make room for a proven second baseman, and now it may be back in the market for another one just one year later.
Lowe is now a free agent after the 2026 season, and bringing him back could take a financial commitment that sits well outside the Pirates’ usual comfort zone. General manager Ben Cherington has said he is interested in keeping Lowe, but wanting him back and paying what it takes are two different things in Pittsburgh.
If Lowe leaves, the Pirates would lose the centerpiece of one of their most important offseason acquisitions in years. And unlike last December, when Cherington had a straightforward path to upgrade second base through a trade, there’s no guarantee another move like that will be there for the taking.
Cheng wouldn’t have fixed that problem. Even if he had stayed in the organization, Pittsburgh still would need a real everyday second baseman who can hit. But that’s what makes his latest trade such a strange little footnote.
The Pirates gave up a depth piece to get major league production right away. The issue isn’t that they moved on from Cheng. It’s that they might now have to replace the player who made the whole trade look so smart in the first place.
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