Will Brandon Lowe be back in Pittsburgh? Cherington says talks are “good,” Pirates keep door open

Brandon Lowe will decide whether to accept the Pittsburgh Pirates’ $23.15 million qualifying offer by 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 17, and General Manager Ben Cherington said the two sides’ conversations are “good” as the free-agent market takes center stage during the MLB General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas.

Cherington said talks have been ongoing since the end of the 2026 season, and he framed a potential return as something the Pirates would like to make happen. He described Lowe and his agency as having had a “great experience in Pittsburgh” and characterized the organization’s communication as taking “it a step at a time.”

The Pirates did not pursue extension talks with Lowe during the 2026 season beyond expressing their appreciation and how well he fit, Cherington said, adding that timing was affected by Pittsburgh’s playoff push.

Cherington pointed to Lowe’s on-field production and team fit as part of why Pittsburgh believes the relationship can continue. He noted Lowe “has some proof of concept,” including that the player had comfort in what his role and experience would look like, and that Lowe put himself in a “really strong position” heading into free agency.

On the field in 2026, Lowe became a defensive presence at second base and posted a strong offensive profile while playing more regularly, including 96 RBIs and an.824 OPS, with 35 home runs to lead all second basemen in the league. Defensively, the team credited him with a significant improvement in fielding run value after the season he spent with Tampa Bay.

The Pirates’ qualifying offer made Lowe one of only three Pirates players since 2012 to receive such an offer, joining Francisco Liriano (2014) and Russell Martin (2014), and Cherington said Pittsburgh did not see Lowe pricing them out based on the outcome of the trade that brought him to the team.