Brandon Lowe’s Gold Glove nomination just made Pirates’ looming free agency mistake even worse

Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe was named a National League Gold Glove finalist alongside Brice Turang and JJ Wetherholt. Writer Emma Lingan argues that this defensive recognition highlights how costly Lowe's potential departure in free agency could be for Pittsburgh. Lowe led the Pirates in 2026 with 35 home runs and 96 RBI, while also posting 15 Outs Above Average at second base.

Lingan notes that a potential Pirates replacement plan involves promoting prospect Murf Gray to third base and shifting Nick Gonzales to second base. However, the writer contends that relying on an unproven minor leaguer and Gonzales' defense to replicate Lowe's complete two-way production is an enormous and risky offseason gamble for the 82-80 team.