The Pittsburgh Pirates may be pushing toward the 2026 MLB trade deadline as real buyers, but the bigger question is what happens after that. If this offense is going to stay together, one of the biggest decisions on the board involves Brandon Lowe.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report thinks the answer is a new deal in Pittsburgh. In his prediction, Lowe lands a three-year, $60 million extension with the Pirates, a move that would keep the beloved second baseman in place as a central piece of the team’s resurgence.
“Pittsburgh Pirates: Brandon Lowe signs an extension in September,” Reuter predicts. "... Something in the neighborhood of a three-year, $60 million deal might be a good landing spot for both team and player."
That kind of agreement would average $20 million per year, a number that fits comfortably enough for a player producing at Lowe’s level. Among second basemen, that AAV would tie Jorge Polanco with the New York Mets for sixth-most in baseball. The total value would rank eighth in MLB at the position.
The Pirates also don’t have much time to sort it out. Lowe is under club control only through the 2026 season, and he’ll be a free agent after the year ends. Given the way he’s hit, letting him walk this offseason would be a tough move to justify.
Lowe’s season line tells the story: a .246 batting average, .803 OPS, 117 OPS+, 3.0 bWAR, 21 homers, 88 hits, 59 runs scored, 21 doubles, one triple and 64 RBIs.
At 32, Lowe has been a major force for Pittsburgh and a key part of this offense. A $60 million extension would not be cheap, but for the Pirates, keeping a player this important in the fold would make plenty of sense.
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