MLB Trade Rumors: 3 Teams Linked to Two-Time All-Star Brandon Lowe

Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays second baseman rounds the bases after a HR

Teams around the majors looking for an upgrade at second base have two big-time options on the free agent market — Jorge Polanco and Bo Bichette (who, of course, has been a shortstop his whole career, but a 2025 World Series spent at second opens that door for him). But both of those options will be costly.

The trade route is another avenue, and on that front, the biggest available name is slugger Brandon Lowe of the Tampa Bay Rays. The two-time All-Star is coming off his best—and healthiest—season in four years. The 31-year-old mashed 31 homers to go with 83 RBIs and a .785 OPS. However, his 134 games played is only the second time he's topped 130 games in his eight-year career.

Lowe's trade value will never be higher, and he's set to become a free agent at season's end. All of that smacks of an impending trade for the Tampa Bay Rays, as noted by Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo in The Athletic.

The Rays have spent years pondering the possibility of trading second baseman Brandon Lowe. Now, with Lowe set to earn $11.5 million in the final year of his contract, the possibility might finally become real.

They link three teams to Lowe, all looking to solidify their second base outlook, and add another slugger to the lineup.

San Francisco Giants

With three different players sharing second base duties in 2025, including Tyler Fitzgerald, Casey Schmitt and Christian Koss, none of them really took the bull by the horns and took ownership of the position. Lowe would be a substantial upgrade.

After acquiring Rafael Devers last season, with Lowe, the Giants could field an entire infield in which every position could hit 30 homers (if you count Devers as a first baseman, and if Matt Chapman can stay healthy and get back to that level).

Athletics

Nearby, in Sacramento, the A's could use a boost at 2B, as the injury-riddled and underperforming Zack Gelof is currently penciled in there for 2026. He hit .174 in 30 games this past season, and .211 the year before with a league-worst 211 strikeouts.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates ranked dead last in the majors in home runs last season (117), slugging percentage (.350), and OPS (.655), and it wasn't even close. They also scored the fewest runs of any MLB team. Lowe—again, if he could stay healthy—would be a huge boost to the Bucs' offense. Second base is also one of many positions they could stand to improve.