The Blue Jays are keeping an eye on one of the bigger bats in this year’s free-agent class, and Brandon Lowe has surfaced as a name to watch.
Toronto has shown interest in the 31-year-old second baseman after his strong 2026 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to reporting from MLB Trade Rumors and Sportsnet. Lowe put up a .260 average with 35 home runs and 96 RBI over 150 games, production that would fit a Blue Jays lineup that finished last in MLB in runs scored this season.
That kind of pop is the obvious selling point. Lowe has now hit at least 30 homers in each of the past two seasons, which puts him squarely among the more appealing offensive options available on the market.
His 2026 season also came with a noticeable step forward on the other side of the ball. Sportsnet reported that his fielding run value climbed from the fifth percentile in 2025 to the 96th percentile in 2026.
Baseball-Reference credited him with a career-high 5.3 wins above replacement.
Toronto has room to consider him at second base, where Ernie Clement is currently an option. But the Blue Jays are still sorting through the rest of the roster, and second base is not the only area they may address. The outfield could also become a priority.
There are hurdles here, though, and they are not small ones. Pittsburgh gave Lowe a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer, and he is expected to turn it down in search of a multi-year deal. Because Toronto exceeded the competitive balance tax threshold, signing a free agent who rejected a qualifying offer would cost the club its second- and fifth-highest selections in the 2027 MLB Draft, plus $1 million in international bonus-pool space.
The Blue Jays also may not have a clear path to Lowe without a fight. Sportsnet reported that the Dodgers, Yankees and Pirates could all be in the mix as well.
For now, Toronto’s interest is only at the preliminary stage. Even so, Lowe’s blend of power and improved defense makes him a name worth tracking as the Blue Jays map out their offseason.
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