Earlier this week, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the Mets have shown interest in Rays infielder Brandon Lowe.
With the Rays falling out of contention—having lost 17 of their last 25 and now sitting 2.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot—it wouldn’t be surprising to see them pivot toward moving costly older players like Lowe. They’ve indicated their plans this deadline, having most recently flipped starting catcher Danny Jansen, who’s making $8.5 million this year, to the Brewers
for a prospect. With a $10.5 million salary in 2025 and a club option for $11.5 million in 2026, Lowe fits a similar mold.
The 31-year-old Lowe is a bat-first second baseman whose offensive profile has stayed consistent over the years. Through 86 games this season, he’s hitting .269/.320/.480 with 19 home runs and a 120 wRC+. His career OPS sits at a steady .811 with an average of 33 homers per 162 games. His peripherals are also great, as he’s in the 86th percentile in exit velocity and 82nd in barrel rate, though his 7th-percentile whiff rate and 24th-percentile strikeout rate reflect his hit-or-miss approach. He’s something of a Jeff McNeil counterpart: a swing-happy lefty who tries to lift the ball to his pull side—just with less contact and far more pop.
Injuries have been a concern in the past, as he’s averaged just over 91 games per season, excluding the 2020 season. He’s become more durable lately, however, playing 109 and 107 games in the past two full seasons and 86 so far this year. He landed on the 10-day IL last week with a left ankle issue, but it’s his first IL stint this year.
That said, defense is where the value drops off. Lowe has played 81 games at second and three at DH this year, but he’s been a liability in the field, ranking in just the 3rd percentile in Outs Above Average. Since debuting in 2018, he owns the 6th-worst OAA among second basemen at -20. For reference, McNeil has posted a value of +18 in the same span.
That makes the fit on the Mets tricky. Starting Lowe at second would likely push McNeil into center field, weakening the defense up the middle and bumping Tyrone Taylor to the bench. It would also eat into the playing time of Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, and Brett Baty unless one of them is moved at the deadline. Ideally, Lowe could also rotate through the DH spot with Starling Marte while offering a lefty power bat behind Pete Alonso and Juan Soto.
A recent comparison in terms of what the Mets might give up in a trade for Lowe could be the Josh Naylor trade earlier this month. Naylor, who has a similar 125 wRC+ this year, brought back pitchers Ashton Izzi and Brandyn Garcia. That was likely an overpay, but it sets a rough precedent. For Lowe, the Mets might expect to part with multiple top-25 prospects—especially given Lowe’s team control through 2026.
He’s not a perfect fit, but if the Mets want to significantly deepen their lineup and believe they can manage the defensive trade-offs, he is a name worth watching.
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