Top Landing Spots for Free Agent Brandon Lowe

This offseason, teams around the league are bracing for one of the most chaotic and unique winters in recent baseball history. Between a looming lockout, a top-heavy free agent class, and potential rule changes on the table, executives all over the sport have to operate cautiously and, in some cases, quickly in hopes of improving their rosters heading into 2027.

Despite the uncertainty that lies ahead and the top-heavy free agent class, there are still real opportunities for teams to make splashes and prepare their rosters for a deep run next season. One of the players atop the free agent class is second baseman Brandon Lowe, who is poised for a major payday after having arguably the best season of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In a weaker market for teams looking to upgrade their infield, Lowe stands above the competition. According to Just Baseball’s free agent rankings, Lowe is the most coveted MLB infielder, with his only competition for that title being Teruaki Sato, who is currently set to make the transition from NPB to MLB this winter.

If there’s one thing Lowe has proven throughout his career, it’s that he’s a consistent slugger in the middle of the lineup. In his nine years in the big leagues, he’s surpassed 20 homers five times, with three of those seasons resulting in more than 30 bombs.

Lowe ranks fourth among active second basemen in home runs with 192, trailing only Ketel Marte, Marcus Semien, and Jose Altuve.

Not only has he maintained a lethal bat at the dish, but Lowe has also experienced a defensive revelation, going from being tied for the worst OAA in baseball in 2025 (-14) to being one of just 13 players with an OAA of 15 or better in 2026. This should help his market value even more, as he’s no longer a liability in the field.

Lowe will have a lot going for him when he enters contract discussions this winter. It’s just a matter of who will pick up the phone and make him an offer he can’t refuse.

Free Agent Profile: Brandon Lowe

• Age in 2027: 32
• 2026 Stats: 150 G, .260/.331/.493, 35 HR, 96 RBI, 121 wRC+, 4.9 fWAR
• 2026 Salary: $11.5 million
• Qualifying Offer Received? Yes

Contract Projection

• Contract Length Expectation: 2-5 years

• Expected AAV: $15-25 million

After having one of the best all-around seasons by a position player in this free agent class, Brandon Lowe is poised to earn a significant sum of money this winter. With an electric bat, reliable glove, and veteran leadership, there are plenty of reasons for teams to consider inking him to a long-term deal.

Lowe will be entering his age-32 season in 2027, so he may be limited in terms of the number of years teams feel comfortable offering him. The caveat, though, is that Lowe’s profile already includes a healthy amount of swing-and-miss (28.7% strikeout rate), and players with this type of profile don’t always age particularly well toward the back end of their contracts.

Historically, teams haven’t been as willing to hand out large contracts to second basemen, but times are certainly changing. Prior to the 2021 season, DJ LeMahieu inked a six-year, $90 million deal after back-to-back electric seasons, including a batting-title-winning 2020 campaign.

We also saw Jorge Polanco receive a two-year, $40 million contract prior to the 2026 season. Similar to LeMahieu, Polanco was coming off a very good stretch of play, including a 2025 season in which he hit 26 homers and posted a 132 wRC+.

With this in mind, it’s not far-fetched to assume Lowe will get a contract of this nature. Our best estimate is that it will be between two and five seasons, with the AAV landing somewhere around $15-20 million per season, depending on the length of the contract. If it’s a shorter deal, he may earn a higher AAV than expected, while a longer deal could come with a lower AAV.

The lack of infield depth in this year’s free agent market should also help him quite a bit, as more teams may be willing to pick up the tab to ensure they land a game-changing piece for their infield heading into 2027.

Free Agent Landing Spots for Brandon Lowe

Pittsburgh Pirates

If there’s one pairing around the league that makes the most sense for Brandon Lowe’s success, it’s for him to remain in Pittsburgh with the Pirates. However, this comes down to whether or not the franchise will be willing to dish out the money needed to sign him. If they do, this could continue to be a strong partnership in the years to come.

In his first season with the Bucs, Lowe set the franchise’s single-season home run record for second basemen and became the first Pirate since Josh Bell in 2019 to surpass the 30-homer mark. For a franchise that hasn’t had many explosive, power-hitting seasons, having a player capable of hitting the long ball take the field every day was a welcome addition.

Lowe hasn’t just been impactful on the field, but he’s also played a pivotal role in shaping the culture beyond the PNC Park grass. In the clubhouse, he was an integral part of helping a youthful core become accustomed to the everyday life of being in the big leagues, taking young players like Konnor Griffin under his wing throughout the year.

These types of bonds would make it that much harder for the Pirates to replace him if he were to sign elsewhere, and would undoubtedly add to their motivation to keep him in Pittsburgh long-term.

Taking this one step further, if Lowe were to leave in free agency, the Pirates would have to get crafty to replace his production. The most likely scenario is that Nick Gonzales would shift back to second base, leaving a vacancy at third base in a notoriously weak free-agent class at the position.

Not only that, but if the Pirates were to try to trade for an upgrade at the hot corner, they could run into some trouble given the impending lockout.

All things considered, the Pirates will be a key player in the Lowe sweepstakes all winter long. Both sides have expressed mutual interest in a long-term deal, but at the end of the day, it will be a matter of putting pen to paper.

New York Yankees

If Lowe were to leave the black and gold, the one destination that immediately jumps out as a perfect fit for his services is the New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers have a lot to bring to the table in the Brandon Lowe discussion, and he could make a ton of sense as one of their patented big splashes this winter.

For starters, the Yankees now have a notable vacancy at second base with Jazz Chisholm set to become a free agent this winter. With Chisholm almost certainly heading elsewhere in free agency, Lowe could be the perfect fit for this open slot, even becoming a steadier, more reliable option than Chisholm ever was.

When it comes to left-handed power hitters, there are few destinations that make as much sense as Yankee Stadium, either. Lowe’s sweet, repeatable, left-handed stroke is built to lift the ball to the pull side, which could result in a steady string of homers in this environment, even if his age eventually begins to catch up with him toward the back end of the deal.

According to Baseball Savant, if Lowe had spent this season playing exclusively in New York, he would’ve slugged 39 homers, which would match his previous career high.

The Yankees have the money and willingness to spend on a player like this, too. As mentioned earlier in this piece, they dished out $90 million to DJ LeMahieu back in 2021, which was one of the most lucrative second-base contracts in recent history.

If they’re looking to do it again and potentially have more success this time, Brandon Lowe makes a ton of sense.

San Francisco Giants

Outside of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees, the potential suitors for Lowe become a lot less clear. However, the San Francisco Giants stick out as a possible landing spot, as they have a long history of inking players of this archetype and have a vacancy that makes a signing possible.

2026 was a disappointing season all around for the Giants offensively. They finished with a 65-97 record, and their team wRC+ of 97 ranked 23rd in baseball. Their lineup is also built to be a powerful force full of sluggers, but they fell short of that this season as well, finishing 20th in home runs.

Brandon Lowe’s presence would help address many of these issues right away. He hasn’t been a below-league-average producer at any point during his MLB career, and he brings a steady bat to a lineup that’s notoriously inconsistent. His veteran leadership could also help shape this club, as they’ll have top prospects like Josuar Gonzalez making their way to the big leagues in the near future.

As it currently stands, the Giants’ projected second baseman for 2027 is Marcelo Mayer, a former top-10 prospect in the sport. However, he’s been a less-than-certain big leaguer to this point, often struggling to find offensive success when he’s on the field.

This opens the door for Brandon Lowe to step in and make his presence known in the Bay Area. If he lands in San Francisco, McCovey Cove better watch out, as he’ll be seen crushing splash hits on the regular.

Toronto Blue Jays

Following the trend of many teams named as potential landing spots for Brandon Lowe, the Toronto Blue Jays are looking to refresh their roster after a less-than-stellar 2026 season. After coming mere outs away from a World Series title in 2025, the Blue Jays failed to make the postseason in 2026, finishing with a losing record of 79-83.

If the Blue Jays are looking to refine their offensive machine and add some pieces to the puzzle, Lowe could be an interesting fit that many around the industry haven’t fully considered to this point.

The Blue Jays finished dead last in the league in home runs with 152 last season, which was far from where they had hoped to be heading into the year. Also, their lineup is decently right-handed-heavy in its current form, with many of their key run producers, like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Kazuma Okamoto, hitting from the right side.

Brandon Lowe would immediately help address both of these weaknesses, bringing more diversity and slugging to a lineup that desperately needs it. The front office has put an emphasis on spending recently, too, and with multiple contracts, including George Springer’s, now off the books, they’ll likely be able to spend even more this offseason.

The biggest hurdle they’d have to overcome if they made this signing would be shifting around the defensive positioning to fit Lowe in. As it currently stands, Ernie Clement is expected to be their second baseman, but with Clement’s defensive versatility, he can be moved around to make this work.

In fact, a move like this may help push players like Andrés Giménez back into part-time roles, which could further help this Jays offense. Giménez posted an 81 wRC+ over 148 games last year, and removing his bat from the everyday lineup could be a welcome change.

While they might not be the clearest suitor for Lowe, the Blue Jays shouldn’t be slept on in these discussions.

Philadelphia Phillies

With their eyes set on winning a World Series once again in 2026, the Philadelphia Phillies fell short of making much noise in October, which has been a consistent struggle for this current core. With this in mind, the Phillies have plenty of questions they need to answer this winter, and adding Brandon Lowe could help clear up some of these uncertainties.

The Phillies have had three of their main infielders become free agents this winter, which immediately helps clear the way for some changes. This trio includes Alec Bohm, Luis Arraez, and Edmundo Sosa, who were all major contributors for this club in 2026.

Also, there has been speculation that Trea Turner may transition back to center field in the near future, which opens up even more room for infield additions. This is exactly where Brandon Lowe enters, as his bat would make a huge impact on this lineup.

Despite making it back to the postseason in 2026, the Phillies were far from an impressive offensive group. Their 182 home runs ranked 17th in the sport, while their team wRC+ of 92 was the 28th-highest mark in the league. Lowe would provide help in both of these areas, as his consistent power production would help get this lineup back on track.

Currently, Bryson Stott is expected to be the starting second baseman, but between the sizable number of changes to their infield and Stott’s league-average production, this is far from a certainty. Stott has never posted a wRC+ above 102, while Lowe has never posted a wRC+ at or below that same mark.

If the Phillies are still willing to spend as they have in the past, Lowe could be a welcome addition to this current core.