WHOA. We got quite the MLB trade on Friday involving three teams, a slugger, some good prospects and some pitching. We love to see deals like this.
Brandon Lowe is the headliner, who’s reportedly off to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The prospects are going to the Tampa Bay Rays, which doesn’t feel surprising. And the pitching? The Houston Astros are getting themselves a starter, which helps. This one is extremely intriguing, with each team getting something of value.
As always, we’re going to hand out some trade grades for every team. Let’s break them down and the details of the reported deal:
Astros, Rays and Pirates trade details
Per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal:
ASTROS GET: RHP Mike Burrows
PIRATES GET: IF Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum and LHP Mason Montgomery
RAYS GET: OF Jacob Melton, RHP Anderson Brito
Pirates trade grade
Hey now! Lowe is a seasoned vet who hit 31 dingers last year and has hit at least 21 in each of his last three seasons. It’s a move for a solid vet who can mash. Mangum knocked in 40 RBI last season while hitting .296, so that could be seriously helpful to the lineup. And Montgomery could be decent as a lefty out of the bullpen.
Giving up Burrows — who had a sub-4.00 ERA last season at age 25 — seems like a decently high price, but the return was REALLY good. But fans should like this deal.
GRADE: B+
Astros trade grade
Who knows what’s going to happen with the rotation, especially if Framber Valdez leaves in free agency. So grabbing a depth pitcher with some contract control seems like a smart move, even if it cost the team two top prospects in the process.
Not the worst move… but maybe some regret if the prospects turn out to be good.
GRADE: B
Rays trade grade
The Rays are going to Rays. Getting Melton (who hit well in the minors) and Brito (who’s only 20, but seems like he’s on the rise) may cushion the blow of losing a dependable vet like Lowe. But it’s more of the Rays needing to make deals like these.
GRADE: B