Breaking-News: Yankees Make Bold Move To Acquire Rays’ Brandon Lowe, The Missing Piece to Their Infield Puzzle.

As the New Year approaches, the Yankees remain no closer to finalizing their infield, with the final starter position still undecided. Anthony Volpe and Paul Goldschmidt are set at shortstop and first base for 2025, while the fate of Jazz Chisholm Jr.

at third base is up in the air—there’s speculation he might return to second base. Most of the rumors have linked the Yankees to external options for the hot corner, with Alex Bregman and Nolan Arenado among the leading candidates.

However, given Chisholm’s strong performance at third in 2024, the Yankees shouldn’t rule out adding a second baseman as the final piece of the puzzle. The departure of Gleyber Torres to the Tigers for a one-year, $15 million deal might push the Yankees to explore the trade market for help, and one name worth watching is the Rays’ Brandon Lowe.

2024 Stats: 107 games, 425 PA, .244/.311/.473, 21 HR, 58 RBI, 123 wRC+, 0 Outs Above Average, 2.2 fWAR
2025 Projections: 125 games, 539 PA, .233/.315/.436, 24 HR, 66 RBI, 116 wRC+, 2.9 fWAR

Contract Status: Lowe signed a six-year, $24 million extension with the Rays in 2019, with club options for 2025 and 2026. The Rays exercised his $10.5 million option for 2025 and retain a $11.5 million option for 2026 with a $500,000 buyout.

Though Yankees fans are familiar with Lowe, he remains one of the most underrated second basemen in MLB. Since his debut in 2018, Lowe has consistently been a strong contributor, ranking highly among second basemen in key metrics.

Lowe’s biggest challenge has been staying healthy. Aside from a stellar 2021 season, in which he posted 4.5 WAR in 149 games, Lowe has struggled with injuries.

A quad injury cut his 2019 breakout season short, and he missed significant time in 2022 and 2024 due to back, triceps, oblique, and toe injuries. These recurring health issues are a concern as he enters his age-30 season, having played just 281 of 486 possible games in the past three years.

When healthy, Lowe is one of the best in the game at making hard contact and hitting with ideal launch angles. His career-high 39 home runs in 2021 came from consistently punishing pitches in his sweet spots. While he will always strike out more than most, he makes up for it with his ability to damage pitches in play.

In 2024, Lowe showed signs of returning to his 2021 form when on the field, with several of his expected metrics even surpassing that standout season.

Brandon Lowe

His left-handed power and ability to pull the ball in the air would be a great fit for Yankee Stadium, more than compensating for a glove that, while not exceptional, was slightly above average in 2023.

Although a trade between division rivals might seem unlikely, the Rays have strong motivation to move Lowe this winter. The team has a history of trading higher earners nearing free agency or their 30s, with recent examples like Isaac Paredes, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, and Zach Eflin. Lowe’s $10.5 million salary for 2024 makes him the Rays’ highest-paid player, accounting for nearly 15% of their payroll.

Furthermore, the Rays face over $50 million in repairs to Tropicana Field following hurricane damage, and their reduced revenue from playing at George M.

Steinbrenner Field while paying the Yankees $15 million adds additional financial pressure. Additionally, the Rays had to renegotiate their TV rights deal after Diamond Sports Group’s bankruptcy, further impacting their budget.

All of these factors make it likely that the Rays will look to move Lowe, saving money on payroll and gaining prospects in return, with two more years of team control. His injury history and age might limit the return the Rays can expect, but this presents a prime opportunity for the Yankees to capitalize and acquire an impact player from a division rival.