The Pittsburgh Pirates finally found the big bat they were seeking, landing two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade Friday afternoon, a source confirmed to TribLive.
The deal has the Pirates sending starting right-hander Mike Burrows to the Houston Astros while also acquiring left-handed reliever Mason Montgomery and outfielder Jake Mangum from the Rays, pending all of the players passing physical exams.
Lowe, a 31-year-old left-handed hitter, is the headliner in the deal. He batted .256/.307/.477 with 19 doubles, 31 home runs and 83 RBIs in being selected an All-Star last season. He also was chosen for the Midsummer Classic in 2019, when he batted .270 with an .850 OPS, 17 doubles, 17 homers and 51 RBIs in 82 games.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Lowe has hit double-digit homers in six of his eight major league seasons, including a career-best 31 doubles, 39 homers and 99 RBIs in 149 games in 2021.
Montgomery is 1-3 with a 5.01 ERA and 1.56 WHIP and has averaged 12.9 strikeouts and 5.2 walks per nine innings in 46 innings over 57 appearances the past two seasons. The 6-2, 205-pounder throws a four-seam fastball with a 98.7 mph velocity that ranks in the 97th percentile, per Statcast, and complements it with a slider.
The switch-hitting Mangum can play all three outfield positions, starting 63 games in left, 41 center and 32 in right last season when he batted .296/.330/.368 with 18 doubles, one triple, three homers and 40 RBIs in 118 games for the Rays.
The 26-year-old Burrows is the second starting pitcher the Pirates have traded this offseason. They also dealt Johan Oviedo to the Boston Red Sox for a top-100 prospect in outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia and a pitching prospect.
Burrows was 3-4 with a 3.94 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 96 innings over 23 appearances, including 19 starts, and averaged 9.1 strikeouts and 2.9 walks per nine innings last season.