You all knew I’d be excited for the Pirates grabbing a competent hitter. I was so excited I couldn’t even write it. I went right to the podcast feed.
You can listen to my reaction and analysis in that quick pod. But here’s the trade:
The bullet-points:
Pirates win the trade by getting the best player in Lowe. He’s a free agent after 2026, so my guess is that the Pirates will at least attempt to extend him (for no other reason maybe than trying to prove they’ll spend revenue sharing money on players). It’s a park downgrade from where he was last year, but an upgrade from what it would have been in Tropicana.
Pirates also add needed corner outfield depth in Mangum. I think he’ll play most days in left field and probably make some starts against LHP in center while Oneil Cruz sits. That could turn into a 25+ steal season with a .280+ batting average. Useful in deeper leagues.
The Astros get a high-floor righty in Burrows. His fastball could be a lot better, but his changeup is wicked. He slots in, probably, as the Astros SP2 currently, and it will be exciting to see what they can squeeze out of him. The stuff is there to be a pretty good starter.
The Rays doing the Rays thing where they trade the veteran player before they lose him for nothing. Melton fits in as a strong-side platoon outfielder with plenty of power and speed. I imagine he sits against lefties, and he has a bad history of strikeouts.
More in the pod!
