The Rays, Angels, and Reds just pulled off a three-team trade that’s less about headline names and more about calculated gambles - the kind of deal that could quietly pay off down the road, or just as easily fade into the background. But there’s plenty to unpack here.
Let’s start with Anaheim, a team that’s been leaning hard into the “buy low, hope high” strategy this offseason. Their latest swing?
Josh Lowe, a lefty-hitting right fielder who, not long ago, looked like a budding star in Tampa Bay. Back in 2023, Lowe put together a breakout campaign: a .292/.335/.500 slash line, 32 stolen bases in 35 tries, and a 3.7 bWAR across 501 plate appearances.
He was dynamic, disruptive, and productive - the kind of player who looked like he’d be a fixture in the Rays’ outfield for years.
But the last two seasons haven’t been kind. In 2024 and 2025 combined, Lowe’s bat cooled off significantly, hitting just .230/.292/.378 over 822 plate appearances. His bWAR dipped to 0.8 during that span, and he’s had real trouble against left-handed pitching - a .459 OPS in 2025 and .547 in 2024 tells that story loud and clear.
Still, there’s a silver lining. Lowe remains a weapon on the basepaths, going 43-for-48 on stolen base attempts the last two years.
And perhaps more importantly for the Angels, he’s just entering his arbitration years and is under team control through 2028. If Anaheim can unlock even a portion of his 2023 form, they’ve got a cost-controlled outfielder with upside - and that’s exactly the type of player they’ve been targeting.
To get Lowe, Anaheim parts with lefty reliever Brock Burke - a pitcher with a winding road behind him. Originally part of a three-team deal that sent him from Tampa to Texas years ago, Burke had a breakout year in the Rangers’ bullpen in 2022 before injuries and inconsistency caught up with him.
After being waived in early 2024, the Angels scooped him up, and he’s been solid ever since: 90 appearances, 82 innings, and a 3.40 ERA. He’s not flashy, but he’s been dependable.
Still, with free agency looming after 2026, Anaheim decided to deal from the bullpen to take a shot on an everyday bat.
The Reds, meanwhile, are the ones getting Burke. It’s a modest return for a player they once had high hopes for - Gavin Lux.
Remember, Lux was once a top-10 prospect in all of baseball, seen as a future cornerstone in the Dodgers’ infield. Injuries derailed that trajectory, including a lost 2023 season, and while he’s been serviceable since returning, he hasn’t quite recaptured that top-prospect shine.
In 2024, Lux hit .251/.320/.383 while bouncing between second base and shortstop. In 2025, he improved his on-base skills (.350 OBP) but still lacked pop, finishing with a .269/.350/.374 line and just five home runs over 503 plate appearances. The Reds had been using him in a utility role - DH, left field, second base - but it seems they decided to pivot, trading a year of Lux for a bullpen arm in Burke.
It’s worth remembering that Cincinnati gave up some real value to get Lux in the first place. Last offseason, they sent outfielder Mike Sirota and a competitive balance pick to the Dodgers. That move has aged pretty well for L.A. - Sirota is now their No. 3 prospect, according to Baseball America, after torching low-A and high-A with an OPS north of 1.000, and they used the draft pick on Arkansas outfielder Charles Davalan, now their No. 6 prospect.
So while Lux gave the Reds some solid OBP and versatility, the return - a middle reliever in Burke - feels a bit underwhelming, especially considering what they gave up to get him.
As for the Rays, they’re playing the long game, as usual. They land Lux, who fits the Rays mold: versatile, gets on base, and can play multiple positions.
But he’s only under contract for one more year, so this isn’t a long-term play unless something changes. They also add Chris Clark, a 2023 fifth-rounder out of Harvard.
Clark hasn’t cracked Baseball America’s top 30 for the Angels in either of the last two seasons, so he’s more of a developmental project than an immediate contributor.
Overall, this trade doesn’t scream blockbuster, but it’s the kind of move that makes sense in the margins - a reshuffling of assets, with each team betting on upside in different ways. Anaheim gets a potential everyday outfielder on a rebound path.
Cincinnati adds bullpen depth. Tampa Bay picks up a versatile bat and a lottery ticket arm.
It won’t dominate headlines, but it could quietly shape roster construction for all three clubs heading into 2026.