The 2026 season for the Pittsburgh Pirates featured some good and some bad moments. Paul Skenes regressed a bit; the Pirates missed the playoffs, and their trade deadline acquisitions didn’t exactly pan out.
However, the Pirates made one very important move over the prior offseason that paid dividends. That move? Their trade for Brandon Lowe has been a huge boon for the Pirates. But now, Lowe is set to hit free agency, and it is uncertain to come back.
While Lowe is set to hit the open market, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter is predicting the Pirates make a decision to re-sign Lowe to a multi-year deal with at least $20 million per-year on a new deal that would be a no-brainer.
Pirates predicted to re-sign Brandon Lowe in no-brainer decision
“It’s likely going to cost $20 million annually and at least three years to re-sign Lowe, but he was instrumental in the club’s offensive turnaround, posting a 121 OPS+ with 35 home runs, 96 RBI and 5.4 WAR,” Reuter writes. “There is reportedly mutual interest in a reunion, but it will take uncharted spending. Verdict: Re-sign.”
Reuter is predicting the Pirates will fork over the massive contract Lowe is going to demand this offseason and sign him to a multi-year deal to keep him at second base for the next few seasons.
Pittsburgh re-signing Lowe should be their top priority this offseason. Coming off a 5.4 bWAR season with 35 homers and an .824 OPS makes Lowe an obvious player teams will want to sign this offseason.
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He’s only 32 years old, which should make it more obvious for the Pirates that they should be re-signing him to a multi-year contract.
While a $20 million per-year deal over multiple seasons would be some uncharted territory for the Pirates, if there was ever a time to break the bank a bit, it would be now with Lowe.
This prediction should be one that the Pirates really try to make come true, as re-signing Lowe to a multi-year contract extension should be a no-brainer for the Pirates this offseason.
Even though the cost is going to be quite high, Lowe’s 2026 season with the Pirates was good enough that the Pirates’ front office and ownership should be willing to go out of their comfort zone and ink a long-term deal.
