BRANDON LOWE PICKED UP BY PITTSBURGH
In a three-team trade, the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired infielder Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and pitcher Mason Montgomery from the Tampa Bay Rays; the Houston Astros acquired pitcher Mike Burrows from the Pirates; and Tampa Bay acquired outfielder Jacob Melton and pitcher Anderson Brito from the Astros.
What does it give the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates get the most MLB talent in this deal. Lowe especially will upgrade their offense. The 31-year-old is coming off one of his healthier campaigns in which he slugged 31 home runs in 134 games. Mangum adds some depth and versatility to the outfield, and Montgomery is a developing bullpen arm with upside. Pittsburgh has good rotation depth, so they moved out Burrows here to get stronger in these other areas.
What does it give the Houston Astros
For their part of this trade, the Astros dealt two prospects for Burrows, a young right-hander who showed solid potential in his 2025 rookie season. In 23 games (19 starts), he quietly managed a 3.94 ERA and struck out over a batter an inning, though his 1.24 WHIP could use improvement. Burrows should challenge for a rotation job this spring with Houston, but he might also start out in the bullpen or minors.
What does it give the
The Rays move three pieces from their 2025 roster and get younger in the process. Melton is a good outfield prospect who did not find much success in his MLB debut last season. Tampa Bay's outfield is a bit crowded currently, but he should earn a role in the near future if he does not make the team this spring. As for Brito, he is a right-handed starter still early in his development. One of Houston's better pitching prospects, he pitched well in an injury-shortened 2025 season at High Single-A ball.
Fantasy impact
Likely, this trade won't change too much in fantasy baseball. Still, Lowe won't be helped by joining the Pirates offense and leaving Tampa Bay, where he played home games at hitter-friendly Steinbrenner Field last season. Burrows may not be a lock for a rotation spot with Houston, but he is an under-the-radar breakout candidate this year, so keep an eye on him. His departure should also free up more starts for young Pirates pitchers like Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft. And finally Melton could work his way into regular playing time with the Rays sooner than he might have with the Astros. In most leagues, wait and see where Melton fits with his new organization to start the year.
