The Pittsburgh Pirates finalized a three‑team trade that sends Brandon Lowe (2B/OF, age 31), Jake Mangum (OF, age 29) and Mason Montgomery (LHP, age 25) to Pittsburgh while Mike Burrows (RHP, age 26) heads to the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay receives prospects from Houston. Manager Don Kelly inherits a roster that now mixes veteran power, speed and left‑handed bullpen depth, and the move immediately reshapes Pittsburgh’s options for 2026.
Trade breakdown
Under the terms reported, Pittsburgh acquired Lowe, Mangum and Montgomery from Tampa Bay; Houston received Mike Burrows from Pittsburgh; and Tampa Bay added prospects outfielder Jacob Melton and pitcher Anderson Brito from Houston to round out the three‑way swap. The headline name is Lowe, a proven middle‑of‑the‑order bat, but the deal also supplies the Bucs with a versatile outfield option and a southpaw reliever to address specific roster needs.
Brandon Lowe
Brandon Lowe, 31, arrives as Pittsburgh’s most established power threat. In 2025 he produced a left‑handed power profile that included a .256 batting average with 31 home runs and 83 RBI, and his career to date features sustained slugging that projects as an immediate middle‑of‑the‑order upgrade. The primary question for Don Kelly and the coaching staff is defensive placement: Lowe can handle second base, but his bat also fits in a corner outfield role if the club decides to prioritize infield youth.
Jake Mangum
Jake Mangum, 29, brings contact ability, on‑base skills and speed. In his 2025 big‑league work he showed the ability to get on base consistently and to create value on the bases, making him a candidate to bat near the top of the order or to serve as a high‑value fourth outfielder who can cover all three outfield spots. Mangum’s skill set gives Kelly a flexible roster piece who can be used as a matchup starter or a late‑game pinch‑running/on‑base option.
Mason Montgomery
Mason Montgomery, 25, bolsters the bullpen as a left‑handed option. Montgomery logged a heavy workload out of Tampa Bay’s pen in 2025 and projects as a middle‑relief or situational lefty who can be used in high‑leverage matchups or to bridge to the late innings. Adding a reliable southpaw addresses a long‑standing need for balance in Pittsburgh’s relief corps and gives the staff more matchup versatility.
Nick Gonzales and the positional puzzle
A central storyline is how the Pirates deploy Lowe defensively and what that means for Nick Gonzales. Gonzales, a young, cost‑controlled infielder, would benefit from everyday reps at second base if Lowe is shifted to a corner outfield spot. Don Kelly’s emphasis on versatility suggests the club will experiment in spring training- Lowe in the outfield would unlock Gonzales at second, while keeping Lowe at second would preserve his comfort defensively but limit Gonzales’s immediate playing time.
Mike Burrows
Mike Burrows, 26, gives Houston a cost‑controlled right‑hander with mid‑rotation upside. Burrows showed promise as a rookie starter, delivering innings and flashes of a reliable mid‑rotation profile; his departure reduces Pittsburgh’s rotation depth but was the price paid to add immediate offensive and bullpen help. For Houston, Burrows represents a controllable arm that can be slotted into a rotation or stretched out as needed.
Projection and final thoughts
For 2026 the outlook is straightforward: Lowe projects as a middle‑of‑the‑order run producer if healthy; Mangum offers on‑base ability and speed as a top‑of‑order or super‑utility outfielder; Montgomery is a situational lefty who strengthens the pen; and Gonzales stands to gain if Lowe moves to the outfield. Don Kelly’s roster construction and spring training experiments will determine whether the Pirates get the best balance of offense and defense from this deal.
Sportsvival likes the trade because the Pirates added a beneficial piece to their lineup while dealing from a position of depth, upgrading their offense without sacrificing long‑term flexibility.
Lowe’s bat should play well at PNC Park, giving the Pirates a middle of the lineup left handed bat that they have been without the past several seasons. The Pirates may not be done wheeling and dealing and still have a trade chip in starting pitcher Mitch Keller. Stay tuned.
(photo courtesy of Bay News 9)