{"id":897190,"date":"2026-09-19T01:32:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T01:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/897190\/"},"modified":"2026-09-19T01:32:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T01:32:16","slug":"mlb-mailbag-lowe-alvarez-woodruff-gm-searches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/897190\/","title":{"rendered":"MLB Mailbag: Lowe, Alvarez, Woodruff, GM Searches"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week\u2019s MLB Mailbag looks at Brandon Lowe<\/a>\u2019s qualifying offer candidacy and free agency, Francisco Alvarez<\/a>\u2019s trade value, the Brewers and Brandon Woodruff<\/a>, and the three (so far) front office searches we know will be taking place this winter.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s begin!<\/p>\n

J. asks:<\/p>\n

Could the Pirates extend a Qualifying Offer to Brandon Lowe? If so, do you think they will and, if so, what would be the likely result?<\/p>\n

The Pirates can and should. My colleague Anthony Franco listed Lowe as a \u201clikely\u201d QO recipient in his recent rundown<\/a> of this year\u2019s prospective QO crop, but the only semblance of uncertainty there stemmed from whether the ever-frugal Pirates would put forth that kind of offer. If Lowe were on a team that didn\u2019t habitually trot out payrolls in the $80-90MM range \u2014 this year\u2019s $105MM payroll is somehow a club record \u2014 there wouldn\u2019t be a question at all.<\/p>\n

The Lowe trade has been a heist for the Pirates. To recap, the Bucs got Lowe, breakout reliever Mason Montgomery<\/a> and outfielder Jake Mangum<\/a> in a three-team trade sending Mike Burrows<\/a> (who struggled for months and has been out since July 7 with elbow neuritis) from Pittsburgh to Houston. The Astros sent outfield prospect Jacob Melton<\/a> and minor league righty Anderson Brito<\/a> to the Rays.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh has gotten a career year out of Lowe. Montgomery has been a monster in the \u2018pen and is controlled through 2030. Mangum has hit .281\/.337\/.366 in a larger-than-expected role after manning center field on the regular while Oneil Cruz<\/a> recovered from a pair of broken fingers. It\u2019s one of the best trades made by any team last winter and one of the best trades of Ben Cherington\u2019s entire GM career (Boston included).<\/p>\n

Lowe, meanwhile, has ripped 31 homers for a second straight season \u2014 his third career 30-homer campaign. After ranking as the worst defensive second baseman in the game in 2025 (-14 Defensive Runs Saved, -14 Outs Above Average), he now ranks among the best; he\u2019s incredibly flipped those defensive grades on their head, now sitting with +14 marks from both DRS and OAA. FanGraphs pegs him at 4.4 wins above replacement. Baseball-Reference has him at 4.9.<\/p>\n

Second basemen typically aren\u2019t compensated all that well in free agency, but Lowe is going to be viewed as a bat first and foremost, with his position being secondary. That he\u2019s turned in a career-best performance with the glove certainly won\u2019t hurt things, but I imagine some clubs will be skeptical of his ability to replicate this level of defensive output. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s much of a chance Lowe accepts a QO, but even if he did, the Pirates should jump at the chance to have him back.<\/p>\n

Nailing down what he might command in free agency is a bit tougher. There are some comps to consider, but since it\u2019s rare for second basemen to get paid in free agency, the best data points come in the form of recent free agent signees who play other non-premium defensive positions.<\/p>\n


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