Pirates, Rays, Astros Three-Workforce Commerce

The Pirates, Rays, and Astros got here collectively on a three-team commerce on Friday. Within the transfer, Pittsburgh acquired Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum, and Mason Montgomery from Tampa Bay. The Bucs despatched Mike Burrows to Houston, who in flip dealt Jacob Melton and Anderson Brito to the Rays. Multi-teamers are at all times sophisticated, and I discover it most useful to interrupt these down crew by crew.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Acquires: 2B Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum, LHP Mason Montgomery

Loses: RHP Mike Burrows

The motivation for the Pirates right here is apparent, as they entered the offseason with a dire must convert their pitching surplus into a number of bats. The Pirates scored 583 runs this previous season, the fewest in baseball, and solely Colorado saved their collective 82 wRC+ from mentioning the rear in that class, as effectively. On the similar time, the crew’s pitching growth pipeline is buzzing. Paul Skenes is the perfect pitcher within the NL, and Mitch Keller is a strong mid-rotation starter behind him.

From there, the Pirates have loads of rotation candidates. Burrows, Braxton Ashcraft, Carmen Mlodzinski, Thomas Harrington, and Bubba Chandler all began video games this yr. One other potential starter, Hunter Barco, clambered ashore from the banks of the Allegheny late this season, and Jared Jones will presumably return from Tommy John surgical procedure in 2026 and be within the combine, too. It’s enviable depth and ripe for a useful resource trade. Pittsburgh began that course of earlier this winter, flipping Johan Oviedo to the Crimson Sox for outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia, and actually kicked issues into gear with this transfer.

Lowe is the largest title within the deal. The second baseman is an eight-year veteran who made his second All-Star crew in 2025, when he bashed 31 homers and notched a 114 wRC+. Tempting as it’s to hyperlink that energy surge to his diminutive residence park — the Rays performed at George Steinbrenner Subject, the place the appropriate discipline pole is simply 314 toes from the plate — Lowe really hit significantly better on the highway: .275/.337/.500, in comparison with 240/.279/.456 in Tampa. His pull-side energy fits his new digs: Twenty-eight of Lowe’s 31 dingers went to the appropriate aspect of the sector, and PNC Park’s in any other case cavernous dimensions supply a cut price to sluggers seeking to drive the ball out to proper discipline.

Whereas Lowe’s exit velocities, onerous charges, and launch angles have been steady year-over-year, you’ll be able to squint and see indicators of a slight decline elsewhere. Now 31 years outdated, Lowe has at all times been an aggressive, strikeout-heavy hitter reliant on the lengthy ball, and people traits have change into a slightly however noticeably greater a part of the equation amid a two-year collapse in his stroll price. Per Baseball Savant, Lowe’s dash pace has dropped for 2 years working now, and whereas he’s hardly ever graded out as a very good defender on the keystone, he was the worst certified common there in 2025, in response to our metrics.

Between that and his expiring contract — he’s signed by 2026 with an $11.5 million crew choice for 2027 — Lowe is a short-term proposition in Pittsburgh. He’s immediately a lineup anchor, and one of many two or three greatest bats on the roster. On a WAR/162 foundation, he’s averaged greater than three wins per season during the last three years. Accidents have been a relentless thorn in his aspect — his 134 video games performed in 2025 was the second-highest whole of his profession — so the protected projection is for lower than that, however he needs to be a productive participant when he’s on the sector. ZiPS isn’t rosy on injury-prone guys of their 30s, however this isn’t a foul projection by any means:

One nuanced piece of this deal is that the person Lowe is changing, Nick Gonzales, wasn’t a zero final yr. He didn’t hit a ton, however Gonzales accrued practically a full win’s value of worth in 96 video games, and who is aware of how a lot his hitting was affected by the ankle fracture he sustained hitting a house run on Opening Day. He posted a 94 wRC+ in 2024, and even should you break up the distinction between that and his 82 wRC+ this yr, with good protection at second he’s comfortably a second-division common as a minimum. You’ll be able to name Lowe a marginal improve should you’d like, however I believe there’s worth in stacking expertise right here. Gonzales will presumably have loads of alternatives to spell the oft-injured Lowe, and maybe he’ll additionally work in additional at brief or third subsequent yr. Regardless, transferring him from a beginning job right into a utility function provides Pittsburgh beneficial depth and a high-floor Plan B if something goes unsuitable.

Mangum spent six years within the minors throughout three organizations earlier than Tampa Bay cracked the door open on a chance for him this spring. He busted that door off its hinges, hitting .296/.330/.368 whereas taking part in a very good heart discipline and establishing himself as a professional main leaguer. He was one in every of baseball’s greatest fourth outfielders in 2025, and whereas his 1.8 WAR could be the high-water mark of his profession, even a barely diminished model of these numbers would earn him a spot in Pittsburgh’s lineup.

Mangum is a batting average-dependent hitter with effectively below-average energy and low stroll and strikeout totals. That’s a unstable ability set and one usually delicate to father time and advance scouting studies. The park is once more a very good match right here, although, as Mangum tends to spray the ball, and PNC has one of many largest acreages within the recreation. His glove can also be a welcome addition. The Pirates choose to have two heart field-caliber defenders to deal with heart and left, and Mangum affords them that type of participant.

Montgomery is an intriguing match for the bullpen. He has wonderful stuff from the left aspect, a high-90s fastball and a plus slider, each of which miss bats. He endured some residence run hassle that fluffed up his ERA, however he posted a sub-4.00 FIP, and the deep left discipline dimensions at his new residence stadium can solely assist him sand down the harm on contact. Strike-throwing is the important thing variable right here: He was wild final yr, so although he’s bought late-inning stuff, it’s onerous to belief him in leverage spots. The Rays are often fairly good at getting their high-octane guys to throw strikes. They have been unable to on this case, and that maybe shades the long-term outlook right here down a tad.

Whereas thrilling, these acquisitions haven’t come low-cost. Burrows is probably not a family title but, however the Astros get six years of management of a man who generated mid-rotation numbers throughout 19 begins and practically 100 innings this yr. We’ll cowl him extra in Houston’s part, however from Pittsburgh’s aspect, of all of the pitching depth talked about above, Burrows was maybe the most certainly of the group to take the ball 30 occasions subsequent season. Along with that misplaced manufacturing, there’s additionally a sentimental piece. The membership drafted him out of highschool in 2018, and he’s spent his entire profession within the group. By way of a pandemic and Tommy John surgical procedure, he’s taken the lengthy path from a proficient however flawed excessive schooler right into a promising massive leaguer. Don’t hug your prospects too tight; you could be the one who will get damage.

One closing be aware on the Pirates aspect: With this transfer, their 40-man roster is now over capability, and so they’ll must make two subtractions from their present group. No announcement has been made simply but.

Finally although, this can be a transfer that makes a number of sense for a crew, and a entrance workplace, that should win now. Skenes’ clock is ticking. If the Pirates aren’t in a position to prolong him long-term, and it appears unlikely that they’ll, they’ve in all probability bought a yr, perhaps two, left earlier than it would make sense to discover a franchise-altering commerce. Mangum and Lowe symbolize a reasonably important improve over what they’ve gotten from second base and their nook/depth outfielders lately, and the Bucs have the items to backfill Burrows. Lowe’s $11.5 million price ticket is manageable, even for Bob Nutting, and they need to have the pliability to make additional reinforcements. By itself, this commerce doesn’t flip the Pirates into wild card favorites, however they’re working their approach into that dialog, and the sample we’re seeing from them this offseason suggests a mandate to place a winner on the sector subsequent season. Count on extra motion from them within the coming weeks.

Houston Astros

Acquires: RHP Mike Burrows

Loses: OF Jacob Melton, RHP Anderson Brito

With Framber Valdez seemingly out the door and the rotation trying perilously skinny, Houston wanted to strengthen the beginning 5 this winter, which brings us again to Burrows. In his first sustained main league motion, the 26-year-old put up a surprisingly sturdy season, hanging out greater than a batter per inning with a 7.7% stroll price and manageable harm surrendered on contact. That translated to a 3.94 ERA, a 4.00 FIP, and a tidy 1.3 WAR in 96 innings throughout 19 begins.

Whether or not Burrows can preserve that going ahead is the massive query. On paper, he has the profile of a mid-rotation arm. He sits within the mid-90s and has 4 common or higher pitches. The changeup is plus, with a caveat. It’s his greatest bat-misser, but it surely’s additionally susceptible when he hangs it within the zone — the massive motion is conducive to the occasional stinker — and he makes use of it a lot that hitters can afford to take a seat on it and make him pay when he misfires. It’s additionally value noting that a lot of his work got here in four- to five-inning stints, outings wherein he hardly ever was afforded the possibility to dampen his numbers by turning the lineup over a 3rd time. A part of that stemmed from Pittsburgh’s hybrid-heavy technique, and there are folks throughout the entrance workplace who didn’t actually see Burrows as a man seemingly to reach longer outings anyway. He was additionally working again from Tommy John surgical procedure, which price him a lot of the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

A yr additional faraway from the process, would possibly Houston loosen the reins? He’s had few developmental alternatives to learn to navigate that third time by (him and everyone else lately) and the homer totals recommend rising pains if the Astros let him study on the job. Nonetheless, the long-term forecast right here is constructive. He’s both a strong twice-through-the-order man, or he learns how one can do sufficient to justify a conventional starter’s workload. If it’s the second a type of two, Houston has a no. 3 starter on its fingers and 6 years of service time to play with.

To seek out out, the Astros parted with Melton, their high prospect in our up to date 2025 rankings, and Brito, who was seemingly going to leap into their high 10 had he stayed. This was a skinny farm already, and there’s now little or no impression expertise on the horizon.

It’s surprising how rapidly the core of Houston’s World Collection groups has scattered to the winds. The Astros remained aggressive with out Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker this yr, although they missed the postseason for the primary time since 2016, however with Valdez seemingly gone too, this appears extra like a crew able to difficult for a playoff spot than one getting into the season with the division on ice. The swap right here stabilizes that current considerably at a modest long-term price.

Tampa Bay Rays

Acquires: OF Jacob Melton, RHP Anderson Brito

Loses: 2B Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum, LHP Mason Montgomery

It’s a restock-the-farm type of day for Tampa Bay. Along with this transfer, the Rays dealt Shane Baz to the Orioles in trade for 4 prospects and a aggressive stability decide. On this one, Tampa managed to get Lowe’s $11.5 million off their 2026 books and added two prospects with upside. Shedding the pre-arb components of Mangum and Montgomery’s careers is a calculated blow.

Melton is in principle Mangum’s ready-made alternative. He performed 32 forgettable video games in Houston this yr, the place he hit .157/.234/.186 with no residence runs and a ton of strikeouts. Ugly numbers to make certain, however I’m not inclined to maneuver off of him over that. He by no means had a sustained run within the lineup, and it’s onerous to anticipate a lot of a rookie taking part in a recreation right here and a recreation there. He nonetheless tasks as a strong fourth outfielder, and he’s a playable heart fielder. Doubts about his capacity to get to his appreciable uncooked energy and questions on whether or not he’ll carry out towards left-handed pitching make him extra of a very good prospect than a fantastic one. The Rays have traditionally had a ton of success getting essentially the most out of gamers on the road between on a regular basis man and high quality function participant, and so they’re rolling these explicit cube once more right here.

Brito is the wild card of the entire deal. He’s small, simply 5-foot-10 and 160 kilos, however he has a fast, electrical arm. Each his mid-upper 90s fastball and hellacious, plus slider missed a ton of bats in Excessive-A, and each generated called-plus-swinging-strike charges above 30%. He’s not a fantastic strike-thrower, and whereas there’s worth in growing him as a starter in case that adjustments, Eric Longenhagen noticed him as a possible reliever when he caught him within the Fall League. Once more although, that is the type of man with whom the Rays succeed. They’re superb at bringing pitchers into the strike zone, and so they have a tendency to search out methods to deploy guys with plus pitches in stints so long as their management and well being will permit. The protected guess is that they bought two high quality function gamers on this commerce, however it could come as no shock if one or each exceeds that projection.

I’m not inclined to name this deal a winner or a loser for any crew particularly, as every of the squads concerned executed on components of their offseason plan. The Pirates swapped depth for want as they gear as much as compete in 2026. The Astros stabilized their rotation of their pursuit of continued playoff relevance. The Rays managed to shed payroll whereas including to their already deep assortment of younger gamers. There’s one thing for everybody right here, and this commerce helped every crew consolidate its short-term technique.