The Pittsburgh Pirates finally landed some Major League bats for their line-up, acquiring slugger Brandon Lowe and standout 2025 rookie Jake Mangum, along with flamethrower Mason Montgomery from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade. However, it didn't come at a low price. The Bucs had to give up a player who had a strong rookie campaign himself in right-hander Mike Burrows, who will be going to the Houston Astros. But how did the Pirates do overall in this trade?
The obvious big name heading back to Pittsburgh is Brandon Lowe. The second baseman has long been one of the best middle infield sluggers in the game. Last year, he hit .256/.307/.477 with a 114 wRC+ over 553 plate appearances. Lowe went yard 31 times with a .221 isolated slugging percentage. Since his 2019 rookie season, the only second basemen with more home runs than Lowe's 151 are Jose Altuve (158) and Marcus Semien (178).
Although Lowe can bring the power to the line-up the Pirates need, he has his own downsides. He usually strikes out at a below-average rate, and went down on K's 26.9% of the time in 2025. Lowe also had a career-low 6.9% BB%. His defense at the keystone has never graded out well, but 2025 saw him have -14 defensive runs saved, and -13 outs above average. He was one of only five players with double-digit negatives in both stats. Plus, he isn't a long-term solution, as he is only under control for one year. But in a line-up that struggled to hit for any power in 2025, the Pirates will take the good with the bad.
Jake Mangum is the second position player the Pirates are receiving in this trade. The outfielder had a surprising rookie season, as he hit .296/.330/.368 with a 95 wRC+ in his age-29 campaign. Mangum was an elite base runner, swiping 27 bases in only 110 games/428 plate appearances while having 91st percentile sprint speed. He also only struck out at a 15% rate. Mangum's outfield defense was well above average. He split his time between all three outfield positions, racking up +3 DRS and +6 OAA. Mangum performed better against right-handed pitching than left-handed pitching, so he could form a platoon with fellow offseason trade acquisition, Jhostynxon Garcia.
Mangum isn't a perfect player, though. He may not strikeout much, but he also doesn't walk much, either, with a 4.4% BB%. He doesn't bring much power either, only hitting three homers with a .072 isolated slugging percentage. The outfielder was also in just the fifth percentile of xwOBA at .275. But the Pirates don't have to play him every day with The Password on hand, and his speed and fielding will make up for a dip in overall hitting. Since Mangum was a rookie in 2025, he is still multiple seasons away from arbitration.
Arguably, the most underrated piece of this three-team trade is Mason Montgomery. His 5.67 ERA in 46 innings doesn't tell the whole story. The left-hander struck out 30.1% of batters he faced with a 97th percentile, 35.8% whiff rate. Even though he had a below-average 12.9% walk rate, Montgomery was in the 83rd percentile in chase rate at 30.1%. His underlying ERA estimators also pinned him as a solid pitcher, with a 3.56 xFIP and 3.55 SIERA. What makes Montgomery special is his stuff. He averaged out at 98.6 MPH last season with his four-seam fastball, which also displayed elite carry through the strikezone. His upper-80s slider induced an eye-popping 43.4% whiff rate. Along with plus extension, which was in the 81st percentile of, Montgomery had a 125 Stuff+, the best of any pitcher who threw 40+ innings out of the bullpen.
The only major downside to his game is his control. As stated earlier, Montgomery didn't have a strong walk rate, and he posted a Location+ of 87 (100 is the league average). However, this isn't something the Pirates can't fix. They've shown they can find relievers from anywhere and reel their control in. Montgomery could very well be an elite reliever after the Pirates get their hands on him.
Giving up Mike Burrows isn't a cheap cost. Burrows got his first extended look in MLB and put up a solid 3.94 ERA, 4.00 FIP, and 1.24 WHIP over 96 innings of work. Burrows put up a solid 24.1% K%, with a 7.7% walk rate. However, it did come with a 1.22 HR/9 ratio and a 13th percentile, 10.8% barrel rate. Burrows was especially good down the stretch. After the All-Star break, he finished off his rookie season with a 3.27 ERA, 25.1% K%, 6.4% BB%, and 99 Stuff+ with a 104 Location+.
However, Burrows' long-term outlook raises some questions. While he was a 2018 draft pick, 2025 marked the first year he tallied at least 100 innings in total. The right-hander missed nearly all of 2023 with Tommy John surgery, and the first half of 2024 still recovering. He was still mostly limited in the Major Leagues in 2025, going more than five innings in just four of his 19 starts.
Giving up Burrows may hurt, but the Pirates' rotation depth can handle the blow. It's not as if they didn't get back some decent players either, and the Pirates are getting back exactly what they need. Lowe is an outstanding power hitter, something the Pirates haven't had in quite some time. That has been their most significant need this offseason, and they finally landed it. Even if Lowe is only under control for one year, he still helps the Pirates right now. So do Mangum and Montgomery. You have to give up something to get something, and it's hard to see this as a bad deal for the Bucs.
Final Grade: A-
