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Reds Acquire Dane Myers

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The Reds are acquiring outfielder Dane Myers from the Marlins in exchange for outfield prospect Ethan O’Donnell. The Reds are designating right-hander Lyon Richardson for assignment in a corresponding move, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The Marlins’ 40-man roster now stands at 39, which opens a spot for the recently-signed Pete Fairbanks. The Marlins have officially announced the trade.

The 29-year-old Myers, a Ballengee Group client, was drafted by the Tigers as a pitcher in 2017. He was converted to a hitter in 2019 and spent a few more seasons in the Tigers’ system before the Marlins selected him in the minor league phase of the 2022 Rule 5 Draft. He made his major-league debut with Miami in July 2023. In 511 plate appearances over 172 games from 2023-25, Myers has batted .245/.299/.354 with a 25.8% strikeout rate against a 6.5% walk rate while providing serviceable outfield defense. However, that has come with a fair amount of injuries. He missed two months with a left ankle fracture in 2024. This year, he made two separate trips to the injured list for right oblique strains and finished the year on the IL with a right knee laceration.

When he was on the field this year, Myers made 333 PA and played 752 2/3 innings across all three outfield spots, mostly in center field. He cut his strikeout rate from 33.3% in 2024 to 23.1% in 2025 while also chipping in 18 stolen bases. However, that coincided with a drop in power. His slugging percentage fell from .442 to just .326, and his ISO similarly declined from .179 to .091. Altogether, Myers batted .235/.291/.326 with six home runs and just a 72 wRC+ this year, a disappointment considering he posted a 113 wRC+ in 2024 (albeit in a limited sample).

Defensively, Myers has improved year over year. He was worth -3 Defensive Runs Saved in 155 1/3 outfield innings in 2023 but 1 DRS in 222 innings in 2024. This year, he played 752 2/3 innings in the field and was worth 3 DRS, as well as 2 Outs Above Average. His arm strength is his true calling card, grading out in the 97th percentile according to Statcast. Myers also has excellent range thanks to his 76th-percentile sprint speed.

The trade for Myers gives the Reds a low cost defensive specialist who could fill a platoon role against left-handed pitching. TJ Friedl is the incumbent in center field. He had a 109 wRC+ this year and was worth 2.9 fWAR despite being a liability in the field (-10 DRS). His offense is enough to keep him as a starter up the middle. Meanwhile, a combination of Noelvi Marte, Will Benson, Gavin Lux, and the recently-signed JJ Bleday will occupy the outfield corners. Notably, Marte is the only one of that bunch who hits right-handed. Myers had a 119 wRC+ in 117 PA against southpaws this year, so he could help balance out the lineup from the right side.

Meanwhile, the 23-year-old O’Donnell was a sixth-round draft pick by the Reds in 2023. He joins the Marlins’ system after a 2025 season spent at the Double-A level. In 503 PA across 125 games for the Reds’ affiliate in Chattanooga, he had a line of .236/.327/.325 with a 90 wRC+. He struck out 25.6% of the time but showed good plate discipline with a 10.7% walk rate. O’Donnell has shown above-average speed and power in prior seasons, so he might improve with another year at Double-A.

As for Richardson, the 25-year-old was a second-round pick by the Reds in 2018. He made his big-league debut in 2023 and has compiled 55 innings with a 6.05 ERA in 39 appearances (four starts) from 2023-25. He got a somewhat bigger look this year, pitching to a 4.54 ERA in 37 2/3 innings out of the Reds’ bullpen. He got groundballs at an above-average 53.8% rate, but that was offset by a lack of strikeouts (only 17.4%) as well as a 46.2% hard-hit rate against him. Richardson has less than one year of service time but is out of options. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, he’ll need his contract to be selected in order to get another look in the majors.

Photo courtesy of Raymond Carlin III, Imagn Images

Reds Designate Lyon Richardson For Assignment

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The Reds have designated right-hander Lyon Richardson for assignment. Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer was among the first to report the move, which will make room for Dane Myers on the 40-man roster. Myers was acquired from Miami via trade earlier today. It’s the second DFA of the day for Cincinnati, after Keegan Thompson met the same fate to free up a spot for free agent addition JJ Bleday.

Richardson earned his longest MLB look this past season. He made 34 appearances out of the bullpen for the Reds, pitching to a 4.54 ERA over 37 2/3 innings. Richardson posted a subpar 17.4% strikeout rate and an unsightly 12.2% walk rate. The young righty had a solid 53.8% ground ball rate, which helped him allow just two home runs despite his hitter-friendly home park.

Cincinnati selected Richardson in the second round of the 2018 draft. He routinely delivered strong strikeout numbers as he worked his way up the minor league ladder. Richardson ranked among the Reds’ top 10 prospects multiple times on MLB.com, reaching the No. 9 spot in 2021. He missed all of 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Richardson compiled a 34.5% strikeout rate across three levels in 2023. He made his big-league debut that season, but it was a disastrous first stint in the majors. Richardson was hammered for 16 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings across four starts. The beginning of his career could not have gone worse, as he allowed home runs to CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas on the first two pitches he threw in a Reds uniform.

After working almost exclusively as a starter, Richardson moved into a relief role this past season. He did not experience the typical uptick in velocity that pitchers transitioning to the bullpen often see, as his fastball dropped about 1 mph compared to 2023 and 2024. Richardson did make an arsenal tweak as a reliever, pushing his changeup usage to 40.5%. He’d used the pitch around 30% of the time in his first two MLB seasons.

The changeup resulted in a Run Value of -5, so the increased usage might not have been the best approach. Richardson also ditched his slider and focused on the curveball as his primary breaking pitch last year. Finding a pitch mix that allows him to regain his strikeout ability will be key if he’s to get another shot with the Reds.

Photo courtesy of Katie Stratman, Imagn Images

Reds Designate Keegan Thompson For Assignment

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The Reds announced that right-hander Keegan Thompson has been designated for assignment.  The move creates a 40-man roster spot for outfielder JJ Bleday, whose signing is now official.

Thompson just signed a split contract with the Reds in early November, but since he is out of minor league options, Cincinnati has to first expose the righty to the waiver wire before he can be removed from the 40-man and sent to Triple-A.  Because Thompson has been outrighted off a 40-man roster in the past, he can opt for free agency if he clears waivers and the Reds outright him now, though Thompson would have to walk away from the money owed to him for the 2026 season.  The split contract will pay Thompson $1.3MM for his time spent on Cincinnati’s big league roster.

As he enters his age-31 season, Thompson is looking to return to the majors for the first time since the 2024 campaign.  His 3.64 ERA over 227 1/3 MLB innings is quite respectable, and working exclusively in a relief capacity with the Cubs in 2024 boosted Thompson’s strikeout rate to a personal best of 28.3%.  These numbers and Thompson’s ability to cover multiple innings seemingly made him a pretty interesting bullpen weapon for the Cubs, yet the team may have been disenchanted by Thompson’s lack of control.  The righty’s walk rate ballooned to 14.7% over 59 big league innings during the 2023-24 seasons.

Chicago designated Thompson for assignment last March and subsequently outrighted him off the 40-man, resulting in Thompson spending his 2025 season entirely with Triple-A Iowa.  Thompson had a 4.50 ERA over 64 innings in Iowa, but also a 29.5% strikeout rate and an 8.9% walk rate that failed to capture the Cubs’ attention for another look in the Show.

Teams in need of bullpen help could potentially claim Thompson off waivers, though a claiming team would also be absorbing the split contract’s potential $1.3MM price tag.  It might not be a huge price to pay if a rival club sees a benefit in Thompson’s ability to chew up bullpen innings, or if its coaching staff views Thompson’s control as a correctable issue.  In lieu of a claim, Thompson might pass on another trip to the open market and opt to remain in Cincinnati’s organization, as he likely anticipated a potential DFA at some point during the winter.

Reds Sign JJ Bleday

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10:31AM: The contract will pay Bleday $1.4MM in guaranteed money, plus more is available via incentives, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand writes.

9:30AM: The Reds have signed outfielder JJ Bleday, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray.  MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon adds that the contract is a one-year Major League contract, and that the signing will become official once Cincinnati makes another move to clear a spot on its full 40-man roster.  Bleday is represented by Excel Sports Management.

Selected fourth overall by the Marlins in the 2019 draft, it looked like Bleday had broken out in 2024, when he hit .243/.324/.437 with 20 homers over 642 plate appearances during the Athletics’ final season in Oakland.  This 120 wRC+ at the plate was enough to power Bleday to 3.2 fWAR during the season, despite some very rough (-19 Defensive Runs Saved, -3 Outs Above Average) reviews of his defensive performance in center field.

One would’ve expected that, if anything, Bleday’s bat would’ve become even more potent as the A’s moved to Sutter Health Park, yet he instead struggled through a brutal 2025 campaign.  Bleday delivered only a 90 wRC+ from a .212/.294/.404 slash line and 14 homers over 344 PA, and he played in just 98 big league games as he was twice demoted to Triple-A.  Bleday’s barrel numbers and strikeout rate both dropped off considerably from 2024, falling to below-average marks.  The A’s moved Bleday out of center field, but his glovework was still passable at best as a corner outfielder.

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Bleday to earn $2.2MM in his first of three trips through the arbitration process.  The Athletics chose to move on entirely by designating Bleday for assignment in November, and he was then cut loose at the non-tender deadline.  The Reds now control Bleday through the 2028 season, and since he has a minor league option remaining, Cincinnati can send him back to down to Triple-A if necessary.

Bleday is a left-handed hitter, which makes him something of an imperfect fit in a Reds outfield that already includes such lefty-swingers as TJ Friedl, Gavin Lux, and Will Benson.  Noelvi Marte is a right-handed hitter, but he is also likely the only outfielder slated for everyday duty in the wake of his successful transition to the right field position in 2025.  Today’s move could indicate that the Reds are thinking about parting ways with Lux or Benson, or since this entire group is pretty inexpensive, Cincinnati could wait until Spring Training to figure out exactly how the outfield playing time will be split.

A bounce-back candidate like Bleday is far from any kind of clear-cut upgrade to the Reds lineup.  Cincinnati squeaked into the postseason despite middling numbers at best in most offensive categories, and the multi-positional flexibility of most of the Reds’ current players gave the team plenty of room to maneuver in considering offseason moves.  Such names as Brandon Lowe (since dealt to the Pirates), Jake Meyers, and Luis Robert Jr. have reportedly been on the Reds’ trade radar, and the club even considered an uncharacteristic free agent splash with a five-year offer in the $125MM range for Kyle Schwarber.  However, that specific pursuit seemed linked to Schwarber’s local ties to the Cincinnati area, and the Reds are very likely not spending anything close to that number for any other free agent bat.

In that sense, Bleday is a better fit within the Reds’ limited budget, and perhaps a sign that the Reds will be focusing more on trades than free agents.  If the move to Sutter Health Park didn’t agree with Bleday, perhaps playing in another hitter-friendly venue (and a proper big league stadium) like The Great American Ballpark will do the trick.  Bleday isn’t likely to be the last of the Reds’ offensive additions, as a better lineup would help the club take a step forward as true contenders.

Reds To Sign Michael Chavis To Minor League Deal

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The Reds and infielder Michael Chavis have agreed to a minor league deal, reports Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. The CAA Sports client also receives an invite to big league camp in spring training.

Chavis, 30, returns to North America after a brief stint overseas. He signed with the Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball in July. However, he hit just .171/.267/.352 in 38 games for the Dragons.

The Reds have overlooked that small-sample disappointment and brought him aboard via a non-roster pact. Chavis was once a notable prospect, getting selected by the Red Sox in the first round of the 2014 draft. He had a breakout season in 2017 when he launched 31 home runs in the minors. Baseball America ranked him as the #85 prospect in the league going into the 2018 season.

He made a major league debut with a bit of a splash in 2019, hitting 18 home runs in just 382 plate appearances, but with some asterisks. That was the juiced-ball season, so Chavis was one of 151 players to reach the 18-homer mark that year. He also struck out in 33.2% of his plate appearances.

The strikeouts would continue to be a problem and bumped his stock down. In the coming years, he would bounce from Boston to Pittsburgh and Washington while continuing to whiff. He currently has 1,186 big league plate appearances on his statsheet with a 31.9% strikeout rate in those. His 5.4% walk rate is also subpar. Despite launching 42 home runs, his .238/.283/.401 batting line translates to an 80 wRC+, indicating he’s been 20% below average overall.

For the Reds, there’s no real harm in bringing him aboard via a minor league deal. For what it’s worth, his minor league production has been more viable. Dating back to the start of 2024, he has 740 Triple-A plate appearances, only striking out 22.3% of the time. He slashed .270/.339/.483 in that sample for a 103 wRC.

He can also provide plenty of defensive flexibility. He has big league experience at the three non-shortstop infield positions as well as the outfield corners.

The Reds have a lot of moving parts in their position player mix. Matt McLain could be the second baseman but he missed all of 2024 while injured and then had poor offensive results in 2025. Sal Stewart has second base experience in the minors but the Reds utilized him at first and third in the big leagues. Though he performed well down the stretch, he still has just 58 big league plate appearances. The hot corner should be locked down by Ke’Bryan Hayes after he was acquired at the deadline in 2025. If Stewart takes over at first, that could push Spencer Steer to the grass, the same way that Gavin Lux and Noelvi Marté have been largely pushed from the infield to the outfield. Steer, Lux and Marté were all around league average at the plate in 2025. Christian Encarnacion-Strand is also in the corner infield mix but is coming off two straight challenging seasons.

Chavis gives Cincy a bit of experience depth behind that group and can step in if there are openings due to injuries or underperformance. Chavis still has an option remaining, meaning he could be easily sent back to the minors if he gets a 40-man spot at some point.

Photo courtesy of Brad Mills, Imagn Images

Reds Among Teams Showing Interest In Luis Robert Jr.

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Last offseason, the Reds were among the teams linked to Luis Robert Jr. in trade conversations. The White Sox surprisingly held onto their center fielder both last winter and beyond the trade deadline. They’ve been content to keep him into 2026 but aren’t closed off to talks.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today and Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer each report that the Reds have resumed discussions with the Sox. Nightengale also lists the Mets as a possibility. Robert has been more loosely tied to Pittsburgh, San Diego and Philadelphia at points throughout the offseason.

The Reds have yet to upgrade a lineup that ranked 14th in scoring despite playing half its games at Great American Ball Park. Their park-adjusted offense was eight percentage points below league average. That tied them with the Angels and Rangers for fifth-worst in MLB. Cincinnati made a run at Kyle Schwarber but reportedly viewed the Ohio native as a unique free agent. There’s no indication they’re going to reallocate the $25MM annual salary that they offered Schwarber elsewhere on the free agent market.

Robert will make $20MM next season. Wittenmyer writes that the White Sox may be willing to eat roughly half that salary to facilitate a trade. There’s a matching club option for the 2027 campaign. Chicago’s seeming willingness to pay down part of the contract would be conditional on getting a package of controllable talent that they like. Robert isn’t a pure salary dump. If the Sox had viewed him as a negative value asset, they would have bought him out for $2MM at the beginning of the winter.

Cincinnati has a quality center fielder in TJ Friedl. They don’t have an everyday option in left, where Friedl’s below-average arm strength would be less of a concern. Robert would certainly upgrade the outfield defense, though it’s less clear whether he’s a consistent enough hitter to be Cincinnati’s marquee offseason pickup. He has been a well below-average hitter since his 38-homer campaign two years ago. Robert owns a .223/.288/.372 batting line with a near-30% strikeout rate in 856 plate appearances since the start of 2024. He looked like he was turning a corner in the second half of ’25 but suffered a season-ending hamstring strain in August.

The Mets have a clearer need in center field. Tyrone Taylor projects as the starter despite hitting .223/.279/.319 across 341 plate appearances this past season. Top prospect Carson Benge is looming but struggled in his first 24 Triple-A contests after raking up through Double-A. He’s likely to begin the year in the minors. Left field is wide open following the Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil trades.

New York is virtually certain to add an outfielder. Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic write that they’re looking to add a right-handed bat somewhere in the lineup. Robert qualifies and is coming off a strong season against left-handed pitching. He was terrible against southpaws in 2024 but raked against them in every other season and has a lifetime .293/.367/.505 slash with the platoon advantage.

Reds Sign Caleb Ferguson

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December 18th: The Reds officially announced Ferguson’s signing today. He’ll make $4.5MM, per Wittenmyer.

December 16th: The Reds are reportedly in agreement with reliever Caleb Ferguson on a one-year contract, pending a physical. Salary terms for the Excel Sports Management client have not been reported. Cincinnati has an opening on the 40-man roster.

Ferguson adds a needed left-handed option to Terry Francona’s bullpen. The Reds bought out Brent Suter at the beginning of the offseason. That left them with Sam Moll as their only lefty reliever. He had been up-and-down from Triple-A this year and gave up 16 runs across 18 1/3 MLB innings. Moll gets a decent number of whiffs and ground-balls and was a solid middle reliever between 2022-24, but the Reds couldn’t enter the season relying on him as their best option.

The 29-year-old Ferguson is coming off a solid season split between the Pirates and Mariners. He made a career-high 70 appearances and posted a 3.58 earned run average through 65 1/3 innings. He recorded 14 holds while relinquishing five leads. Ferguson got a lot of weak contact, but he benefitted from an unsustainably low home run rate and batting average on balls in play. That will probably tick back up in 2026, though it’s possible he compensates by missing more bats than he did this past season.

Ferguson is coming off an 18.9% strikeout rate that is by far the worst mark of his career. He had punched out at least a quarter of opposing hitters in each of his first six seasons. That’d be greater cause for concern if it were accompanied by a drop in his raw stuff. Ferguson’s 94 MPH average fastball speed was in line with that of prior years. He cut back on the four-seam fastball to more frequently use a sinker against left-handed batters. The result, as one might expect, was a drop in whiffs but a spike in ground-balls. Ferguson also did a much better job throwing strikes against southpaws, whom he held to a .184/.261/.204 line with zero home runs in 115 plate appearances.

Against left-handed opposition, Ferguson used his sinker roughly half the time and threw his four-seam fastball and cutter at a near-25% clip. He only sporadically mixed in a slurve. That was a much more frequent pitch for him without the platoon advantage. Ferguson almost never threw the sinker to righties, against whom the pitch’s arm-side run could leak back out over the heart of the plate. He instead mixed the four-seam, slurve and cutter versus opposite-handed opponents.

Ferguson is the second addition to Cincinnati’s bullpen this offseason. They also brought in out-of-options swingman Keegan Thompson on a split deal to compete for a long relief role. Their biggest move was to re-sign closer Emilio Pagán to a two-year, $20MM contract. He’ll be joined in the late innings by Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan and Ferguson. Power righties Connor Phillips and Zach Maxwell have the stuff to pitch their way into leverage roles as well, though it’s questionable whether either pitcher will throw enough strikes to earn that level of responsibility.

An already thin free agent lefty relief class is dwindling. The Pirates finalized their contract with Gregory Soto this morning, while Caleb Thielbar agreed to a new deal with the Cubs. Sean Newcomb, Danny Coulombe, Drew Pomeranz, Justin Wilson and Taylor Rogers are among those who remain unsigned.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the sides had an agreement, which Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer specified was for one year. Image courtesy of Jordan Godfree, Imagn Images.

MLBTR Podcast: Winter Meetings Recap

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Check out our past episodes!

  • An Agent’s Perspective with B.B. Abbott – Also, Cease, Williams, Helsley, And Gray – listen here
  • Some “Classic Baseball Trades,” Nimmo For Semien, And Ward For Rodriguez – listen here
  • Offseason Preview Megapod: Top 50 Free Agents – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images

2025 Rule 5 Draft Results

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The 2025 Rule 5 draft is taking place this afternoon at the Winter Meetings in Orlando. This post will be updated with the results as they come in.

As a refresher, the Rule 5 draft is a way for players potentially talented enough for the big leagues but blocked by their current clubs to find opportunities elsewhere. Any players that were 18 and under at the time of their original signing and went professional in 2021, and any players who turned pro at 19 years of age or older in 2022, are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft if they are not on a 40-man roster.

Though the amateur (Rule 4) draft now has a lottery to determine the selection order, the Rule 5 draft still goes the old-fashioned way of reverse order of standings from the season that just ended. Clubs need to have an open 40-man roster spot in order to make a pick but aren’t obligated to make a selection on their turn. If they do make a pick, they will have to pay $100K to the team they select from. The selected players must stay on the active roster (or injured list) for the entire 2026 season or else be placed on waivers. If they clear waivers, they must be offered back to their original team. They cannot be optioned to the minors.

Players like Anthony Santander and Ryan Pressly have been notable picks in other recent years while guys like George Bell and Roberto Clemente are found deeper in the history books. Last year, 15 players were selected. Only four of those remain with the club who selected them and only three of those have had their rights fully transferred to their new club. The White Sox took Shane Smith from the Brewers. The Marlins took Liam Hicks from the Tigers. Mike Vasil was taken by the Phillies from the Mets but was later traded to the Rays and then went to the White Sox via waivers.

The one other pick from last year’s draft which is still live is Angel Bastardo, who the Blue Jays took from the Red Sox. He was recovering from Tommy John surgery and spent the entire 2025 season on the injured list. He is still on Toronto’s 40-man but they don’t yet have his full rights, as a player needs at least 90 active days to remove the Rule 5 restrictions. If the Jays are willing to roster him for about three months during the 2026 season, they could then gain his full rights and option him to the minors. All other picks were eventually returned to their original organization and/or became free agents.

This year’s picks will be featured below as they come in…

  1. Rockies: RHP RJ Petit (from the Tigers) (Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs was on this before the official announcement)
  2. White Sox: RHP Jedixson Paez (Red Sox)
  3. Nationals: RHP Griff McGarry (Phillies)
  4. Twins: C Daniel Susac (Athletics) (Susac was then traded to the Giants, per Longenhagen. The Twins will get minor league catcher Miguel Caraballo in return, per Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune)
  5. Pirates: RHP Carter Baumler (Orioles) (The Pirates then traded Baumler to the Rangers for RHP Jaiker Garcia. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News previously suggested Texas would likely get Baumler)
  6. Angels: pass
  7. Orioles: pass
  8. Athletics: RHP Ryan Watson (Giants) (Will be traded to Red Sox, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. The A’s will get Justin Riemer in return, per Cotillo.)
  9. Braves: pass
  10. Rays: pass
  11. Cardinals: RHP Matt Pushard (Marlins)
  12. Marlins: pass
  13. Diamondbacks: pass
  14. Rangers: pass
  15. Giants: pass
  16. Royals: pass
  17. Reds: pass
  18. Mets: pass
  19. Tigers: pass
  20. Astros: RHP Roddery Muñoz (Reds)
  21. Guardians: RHP Peyton Pallette (White Sox)
  22. Red Sox: pass
  23. Mariners: pass
  24. Padres: pass
  25. Cubs: pass
  26. Dodgers: pass
  27. Blue Jays: RHP Spencer Miles (Giants)
  28. Yankees: RHP Cade Winquest (Cardinals)
  29. Phillies: RHP Zach McCambley (Marlins)
  30. Brewers: pass

Second round (all others passed)

Photo courtesy of Mike Watters, Imagn Images

Pirates, Reds Among Teams Interested In Brandon Lowe

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The Rays are known to be listening to offers on second baseman Brandon Lowe, whose $11.5MM club option was picked up by the team at the start of the offseason. Lowe will be a free agent next winter. The Pirates have inquired about Lowe, per MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, and the Reds have also discussed the slugging second baseman, per Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic.

The 31-year-old Lowe has been a consistently above-average hitter throughout his big league tenure, dating all the way back to his MLB debut in 2018. That includes 2025, when Lowe belted 31 home runs in just 134 games. The lefty-swinging slugger turned in an overall .256/.307/.477 batting line. While his 6.9% walk rate was the lowest of his career, Lowe’s 91.1 mph average exit velocity and 46.4% hard-hit rate were some of the best he’s posted in his eight major league seasons.

Over the course of those eight big league campaigns, Lowe is a .247/.326/.481 hitter with 157 home runs, 126 doubles, 12 triples, 33 steals, a 9.4% walk rate and a 27.3% strikeout rate. He’s typically graded out as a solid defensive second baseman, though he was dogged by both Defensive Runs Saved (-14) and Statcast’s Outs Above Average (-13) during the 2025 season. It bears mentioning that he missed time with ankle and oblique injuries in ’25, either of which could have impacted him defensively. Those maladies only added to a relatively lengthy injury history; Lowe has also missed time due to multiple back injuries, a bone bruise in his shin and a fractured kneecap.

Pittsburgh stands as a clean and obvious fit. The Bucs are looking for power bats to add to the lineup, and Lowe has plus power from the left side — a key distinction for Pirates targets, as PNC Park is the toughest environment in MLB for right-handed home run power. It’s a pitcher-friendly venue in general, but left-handed power isn’t suppressed nearly as much as right-handed pop.

The Pirates lack a clear option at second base. Former top-10 pick Nick Gonzales hasn’t hit in parts of three big league seasons, slashing just .257/.300/.375. Even if the Pirates want to give him another look, it could come at another position. Gonzales played a career-high 109 innings at shortstop last year and has dabbled at third base. Nick Yorke, another former first-rounder (2020) whom Pittsburgh acquired from the Red Sox in exchange for Quinn Priester, has struggled in a small sample of 33 MLB games. Former top prospect Termarr Johnson had a nice season in Double-A last year but is just 21 years old and has yet to play at the Triple-A level. Lowe could serve as a bridge for Johnson, the No. 4 overall pick back in 2022.

It’s been an uncharacteristically aggressive offseason for the Pirates, even if their efforts in free agency have yet to bear fruit. They were reportedly willing to offer Josh Naylor around $80MM and put forth a franchise-record $120-125MM offer to Kyle Schwarber before he agreed to return to the Phillies on a five-year, $150MM deal. Adding Lowe in a trade with Tampa Bay wouldn’t be as big a splash but could provide some of the thump the Bucs are known to seek as they look to provide support for their terrific young rotation. Given that the Bucs were willing to go those reported lengths on Naylor and especially Schwarber, Lowe’s $11.5MM salary shouldn’t be any kind of deterrent.

For the Reds, Lowe isn’t quite as clean a fit — at least not at second base. Cincinnati hopes that former first-round pick and fifth-place Rookie of the Year finisher Matt McLain can bounce back after a brutal 2025 showing. McLain hit .290/.357/.507 with 16 homers and 14 steals in only 89 games as a rookie in 2023 before missing the 2024 season due to shoulder surgery. He returned in 2025 but mustered only a .220/.300/.343 line in 147 games.

Even with McLain likely taking some of the time at second base, there could be room for Lowe. First and foremost, McLain has a full slate of minor league options remaining. Cincinnati could try to get him back on track in Triple-A Louisville if he struggles next spring. Lowe also has experience in left field and at first base. Plus, either player could slot in for occasional DH work. McLain is a talented defender, but some relative “downtime” at DH could conceivably keep him healthier. He made only three DH appearances this past season.

One outside-the-box possibility for the Rays and their longtime second baseman could hinge on Tampa Bay’s interest in Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte. The Rays have inquired with the Snakes about Marte, according to The Athletic, and one scenario they’ve considered could send Brandon Lowe to Arizona as part of that return. Tampa Bay would surely need to add immediate rotation help and likely some prospect value as well in order to even get the D-backs to consider the possibility.

The Diamondbacks have repeatedly downplayed the swirling spate of trade rumblings surrounding Marte, who is signed for another six years and $102.5MM. General manager Mike Hazen has publicly called a trade “unlikely” but acknowledged that he never outright dismisses interest in any player. He’ll always hear teams out as a matter of diligence. Hazen has also contended that teams have inquired on Marte repeatedly over the past several offseasons, but that attention simply hasn’t generated as much public chatter as it has this time around. Still, the Rays make for an interesting entrant into the bidding, if only because their perennial payroll concerns make them an unexpected landing spot for a player with more than $100MM still remaining on his contract.

There are plenty of interconnected pieces at play with regard to the Rays, Pirates, Reds and D-backs in all these trade scenarios. The Reds, Rosenthal and Sammon note, also have interest in Marte. As with Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh, they have plenty of affordable young pitching to dangle in trade talks. The Diamondbacks are loath to part with Marte, but the Reds, Pirates and Rays have deeper stocks of pitching to try to persuade Arizona than many of their rivals throughout the league.

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