The Pittsburgh Pirates will have a new look after adding Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum in Friday’s three-team trade. In acquiring Lowe and Mangum from the Tampa Bay Rays, the Pirates sent right-handed starter Mike Burrows to the Houston Astros and also received left-handed reliever Mason Montgomery from the Rays. But it’s not the pitchers who will be the focus of this deal from Pittsburgh’s standpoint. Let’s look at how this drastically changes the lineup card that Pirates manager Don Kelly will be writing every day.
Pirates Lineup Looks Different After Adding Lowe and Mangum
This might be looked at as the Pirates’ revenge for the disastrous 2018 deadline deal that sent Shane Baz, Tyler Glasnow, and Austin Meadows to the Rays for disappointing pitcher Chris Archer. But general manager Ben Cherington’s marching orders were to add offense, not to exact revenge. As free agent salaries once again escalated into the stratosphere, it was becoming clear that the trade route would be the right road for him to take. In any event, it looks like a positive deal for the Pirates, whose lineup suddenly has “length,” in the parlance of the modern game.
#Pirates reportedly get Brandon Lowe in this deal.
Lowe is a 25-30+ HR bat, with a .807 career OPS BUT as of now a rental player.
One year left on a deal which means he will be motivated to have a big year at PNC Park
— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) December 19, 2025
The Hitters Coming to Pittsburgh
The left-handed-hitting Lowe, 31, is an eight-year veteran who hit .256/.307/.477, 31 HR, and 83 RBI last season. For the metrics freaks out there, that translates to a .334 wOBA and 114 wRC+. His .785 OPS would have ranked second on the Pirates, just a couple of ticks below Spencer Horwitz. Lowe is primarily a second baseman but has seen action at first base and in the outfield in the majors. Defensively, he doesn’t get high marks at any position. However, it’s his bat that interests the Pirates, and he’s also been employed as a designated hitter. He’s been a consistent power threat who should find PNC Park’s short right field inviting. Years when he’s posted lower home run totals were also years when he battled injuries. According to Baseball Reference, he’s averaged 34 home runs per 162 games. He’ll earn $11.5 million in 2026, after which he becomes a free agent.
Although Lowe is the obvious key to the deal for the Pirates, don’t discount the switch-hitting Mangum, 29. In his rookie season in 2025, he hit .296/.330/.368, 3 HR, and 40 RBI in 118 games while patrolling all three outfield spots. On the negative side, he’s old for a prospect making his major league debut, and those stats came with an unsustainable .345 BABIP. Where he excels is in making contact. He carried a mere 15 percent strikeout percentage, which should be welcome on the whiff-prone Pirates. He’s got a track record as a hitter, too, albeit accomplishing most of it in the minors. In four Triple-A seasons, he’s hit .313/.357/.439, 13 HR, and 132 RBI. Mangum also stole 27 bases in 33 attempts for Tampa Bay last season. He has three minor league options remaining.
Let the Lineup Shuffling Begin! Who Are the Odd Men Out?
Lowe is unlikely to displace Horwitz from first base and hasn’t played in the outfield since 2022. It’s second baseman Nick Gonzales and designated hitter Andrew McCutchen who should be looking over their shoulders. Gonzales, a first-round draft pick in 2020, has provided only major league average offense in three seasons and has had to fight for a job every spring. Despite a few hot stretches last season, he hit .260/.299/.362, 5 HR, and 30 RBI in 96 games. If he doesn’t find himself riding the pine, Gonzales could slide over to shortstop or third base.
McCutchen, 39, hit just .239/.333/.367, 13 HR, and 57 RBI last season, finishing toward the bottom in production amongst full-time designated hitters. Amidst rumors that he and the Pirates are dissatisfied with one another, “Cutch” fired back on social media, saying, “Wow that’s news to me.” Even so, last year’s splits indicate that a platoon role may better suit McCutchen at this point in his career.
Wow that’s news to me.
— Andrew McCutchen (@TheCUTCH22) December 3, 2025
Another Pirate who should surely be looking over his shoulder is the enigmatic center fielder Oneil Cruz. The left-handed batter hit just .200/.298/.378, 20 HR, and 61 RBI to go with a National League-leading 38 steals. However, most of that production came in the first half of the season, and he often looked lost at the plate and disinterested in the field. The Pirates are unlikely to dismiss his intriguing combination of speed and power. Still, a similar performance in 2026 may force them to look elsewhere, especially with a left-hander on the mound for the opposition. “Elsewhere” could mean Mangum and new trade acquisition Jhostynxon García, both capable of playing center field. It also seems that Jack Suwinski, who was signed for another year, has long odds to make the team.
Who’s In Like Flynn?
The Pirates will be giving 19-year-old No. 1 overall prospect Konnor Griffin a shot at shortstop in spring training. With Lowe and Mangum in the lineup, there will be less pressure on Griffin to perform. That might be a consideration for the Pirates, who are traditionally conservative when it comes to promoting prospects.
It also means that the Pirates can carry a player or two in the lineup strictly for their defense. That might open the door for “good-field, no-hit” Jared Triolo to man shortstop or third base. It might also mean more playing time for catcher and 2021 No. 1 draft choice Henry Davis, who made strides defensively last season while continuing to struggle with the bat.
On the Pitching Side
Montgomery, 25, has two minor league options remaining and probably needs a good spring training to go north with the big club despite the shortage of left-handers on the major league roster. He made his major league debut in 2024, when he got a brief nine-game look. In 57 games last season, he was 1-3 with a 5.67 ERA, 1.652 WHIP, and a save. Those aren’t glowing numbers, but on the positive side, he struck out 30.1 percent of batters faced, and his 3.92 FIP indicates bad luck or lack of support in the field contributed to his gaudy ERA.
Meanwhile, Burrows, 26, had the look of a solid No. 3 or 4 starter last season but was expendable. In 23 games, 19 of which were starts, he was 2-4 with a 3.94 ERA, 4.00 FIP, and 1.240 WHIP. With several pitching prospects on the rise, Burrows may have struggled to garner a starting berth out of spring training.
The Last Word
It was known all along that Cherington would have to give up pitching depth for hitters in any trades. He did well to bring Lowe, Mangum, and García to the Pirates without surrendering a top-of-the-rotation starter. Don’t be surprised, however, if Cherington adds a free agent veteran starter on a one-year deal as insurance.
This is a different Pirates front office from what fans have grown accustomed to in recent years. Finally, they see that they have a short window while they have Paul Skenes anchoring their rotation. Thus, they’re selling their soul to the devil. If it means adding a rental in Lowe, then that’s what it means. If it means going outside their comfort zone and rushing Griffin to the majors, then that’s what it means. And if it means asking franchise icon McCutchen to step down into a lesser role, then it means that, too.
Now for the fun part. There’s plenty of offseason left, but here’s one man’s projection on the Pirates’ 2026 lineup as things stand now.
Against right-handed pitching: Griffin, SS, Horwitz, 1B, Bryan Reynolds, RF, Lowe, 2B, Cruz, CF, García, DH/LF, Mangum, LF/DH, Davis, C, Triolo, 3B.
Against left-handed pitching: Griffin, SS, McCutchen, DH, Reynolds, RF, Lowe, 2B, García, LF/CF, Rafael Flores, 1B, Mangum, LF/CF, Davis, C, Triolo, 3B.
Main Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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