Brandon Lowe is officially a free agent and able to sign with any of the 30 MLB clubs as soon as possible.
Now the waiting begins.
The Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman is one of the best free agents available in this year’s cycle after a historic season.
Lowe slugged 35 home runs in his lone year in Pittsburgh, the most by any second baseman in team history. He broke Neil Walker’s record by 12.
Lowe slashed .260/.331/.493 with a .824 OPS in 150 games after being traded from the future American League
Champion Tampa Bay Rays.
He recorded 152 hits, 29 doubles, 96 RBIs and consistently carried the Pirates lineup from the No. 2 spot in the batting order.
Not known as a good defender, Lowe improved his defense well enough to earn one of three Gold Glove nominations at second base.
Pittsburgh has officially offered Lowe a qualifying offer as he enters free agency. The deal is a one-year, $23.15 million contract for the 2027 season. If Lowe accepts, he will be back with the Pirates and can still negotiate a long-term deal.
If he rejects, the Pirates will receive a compensatory draft pick when Lowe signs elsewhere. Lowe has until November 17 to accept or deny the terms. Lowe was one of eight players to be offered a qualifying offer.
Multiple MLB analysts have estimated the contact Lowe could command on the market. Former MLB GM Jim Bowden only projected a three-year, $45 million deal, a $15 million average-annual-value for someone already offered over $23 million.
ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel believes Lowe will agree to a deal nearing a four-year, $80 million total.
Keith Law of The Athletic has the most stunning projection. Law regards Lowe as the third-best free agent on the market and estimates he will sign a five-year, $150 million contract.
The difference in years and annual value is staggering and paints a difficult picture for what Lowe will command. It also doesn’t help that the league and players have until December 1 to agree on a new CBA before the impending lockout.
Lowe, 32, put together one of the best all-around seasons in Pirates history this century, and the Pirates should offer him a three-year deal nearing $20 million.
They can afford it, plus a potential change in revenue sharing and the economic landscape of baseball could make the deal even easier.
The clock is ticking, and it’s time for the Pirates to step up to the plate and show they are committed to winning and winning significantly in 2027. Sign Brandon Lowe. It just makes too much sense.
