Rays trade Brandon Lowe to Pirates in 3-team deal with Astros

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe in a three-team trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros, the clubs announced Friday.

The Pirates also got left-hander Mason Montgomery and outfielder Jake Mangum in the deal, while the Astros received right-hander Mike Burrows.

Meanwhile, the Rays landed outfield prospect Jacob Melton and right-hander Anderson Brito.

The trade broke moments before the Rays dealt right-hander Shane Baz to the Baltimore Orioles for four prospects and a draft pick in a separate move.

Lowe hit 31 homers with 83 RBIs and a .785 OPS over 134 games in 2025. He's played his entire eight-year career with Tampa Bay. The 31-year-old is owed $11.5 million next season in his final year under contract.

Montgomery, 25, authored a 5.67 ERA with 3.92 FIP and 12.3 K/9 over 57 appearances in his rookie season in 2025. He finished in the 97 percentile for fastball velocity and whiff percentage.

Mangum hit three homers with 40 RBIs, 27 stolen bases, and a .698 OPS across 118 games this year. Defensively, the 29-year-old rookie placed in the 91st percentile for outs above average.

For the Astros, Burrows posted a 3.94 ERA with 1.24 WHIP and 97 strikeouts over 96 innings (19 starts) in 2025. The 26-year-old is under team control through 2031.

Tampa Bay added Melton and Brito before getting a prospect haul from the Orioles (Slater de Brun, Caden Bodine, Michael Forret, and Austin Overn).

Melton made his MLB debut in June but struggled. The 25-year-old had zero homers with seven RBIs and a .419 OPS in 32 games after posting a .945 OPS in Triple-A in 2025.

Lastly, the 21-year-old Brito amassed a 3.28 ERA with 11.9 K/9 across 49 1/3 innings in Single-A this year.