The MLB Winter Meetings have concluded, and the offseason carries on for all 30 teams in the league. Teams are looking to retool and acquire players to their rosters that they believe will help them dethrone the back-to-back World Series Champs, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

For the Tampa Bay Rays, it’s been a change of routine over the past two seasons for the AL East Club. Tampa Bay has missed the postseason the past two years with records of 80-82 (2024) and 77-85 (2025). This past year, they had to play at the New York Yankees’ minor league park, George M. Steinbrenner Field, after Hurricane Milton caused damage to Tropicana Field’s roof. Pitching inconsistencies, question marks in the outfield and behind the plate, and injuries didn’t help either.

One player in Tampa Bay is a familiar name to College Park: second baseman Brandon Lowe.

Lowe spent two seasons at College Park (2014-2015), where he was Third-Team All-ACC in his freshman season and First-Team All- Big Ten as a sophomore, playing a key role in helping the Terps reach the NCAA Super Regionals in both seasons.

In 2025 with Tampa Bay, Lowe batted .256 at the plate with a 307 on-base percentage, slugging .477,130 hits, 19 doubles, 31 homers, 83 RBIs, 38 walks, and 79 runs. On top of his consistent power and plate presence, he also became a two-time All-Star, named a reserve for the AL team.

Welcome to Seattle Brandon Lowe https://t.co/u2Gw9X9Bk3 pic.twitter.com/AUaa3VWoCt

— Devastated Dipoto (@SavageDipoto) December 10, 2025

Lowe had his $11.5 million club option picked up by Tampa Bay ahead of the 2026 season, but it’s been reported that the Rays are fielding calls for Lowe, who will also become a free agent in the winter of 2026.

While teams are interested in Lowe, Two teams are known to have called to check on his availability: the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds.

Pittsburgh was looking to add the likes of Kyle Schwarber (Phillies) and Jorge Polanco (Mets) before they both signed with their respective clubs.

Despite missing out on those two players, Lowe enters, who is also a great power hitter and offers a lot of upside when he’s in the lineup, getting on base and crushing balls deep into the outfield.

For Cincinnati, plugging in Lowe gives them a left-handed power threat in their arsenal that can help improve an offense that ranked 21st in home runs, 19th in batting average, 19th in OPS, 19th in hits, and 21st in slugging percentage. Hopefully, extending deeper postseason runs for an up-and-coming team that looks to compete in the NL.

It’ll be a wait-and-see to see where the Maryland product lands.