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New York Yankees' Brandon Lowe Pursuit Just Took a Big Hit
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- New York Yankees' Brandon Lowe Pursuit Just Took a Big Hit
(Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
The New York Yankees have all but officially cut the cord with Jazz Chisholm, declining to extend him the qualifying offer before the deadline on Monday.
The Yankees could always bring Chisholm back on a multi-year contract, but the chances of that happening at this point seem less than zero.
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New York will likely peruse the market for a second baseman this winter, and unless it wants Anthony Volpe or the stone-gloved Luis Garcia Jr. starting at the position, it better find someone capable.
One obvious option is Brandon Lowe , who spent 2026 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and enjoyed one of the most productive campaigns of his career.
Lowe slashed .260/.331/.493 with 35 home runs and 96 RBI over 656 plate appearances while also being named a finalist for a Gold Glove award.
The lefty slugger's swing would be perfect for the short right-field porch in Yankee Stadium, and he has smashed over 30 homers three times in his career. In fact, he topped out at 39 with the Tampa Bay Rays back in 2021.
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Of course, the question is whether or not the Yankees would want to pay the cost associated with Lowe, and Matthew Pouliot of NBC Sports has projected the two-time All-Star to bag a four-year, $96 million contract.
It should also be noted that Lowe was extended a qualifying offer by the Pittsburgh Pirates, so if New York does sign Lowe in free agency, it will have to pay draft pick compensation and surrender international bonus pool money.
That price is awfully steep, and I'm not sure the suddenly cost-conscious Yanks would be willing to meet it for Lowe.
And to be quite frank, this would be one time where I wouldn't blame New York.
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Lowe is a very good player, but he is 32 years old with an injury history. In fact, 2026 marked the first time Lowe had played 150 games in his entire big-league career, which began with the Rays back in 2018.
The former third-round pick has played in over 100 games each of the last four seasons, which is something, but he was at 109 and 107 contests, respectively, in 2023 and 2024.
Additionally, while Lowe had a breakout year defensively this season, he had never been a good fielder in the past. Lowe posted 13 defensive runs saved and 15 outs above average with a plus-10 fielding run value in 2026. The year prior, he was at minus-14 defensive runs saved, minus-14 outs above average and a minus-10 fielding run value.
So was Lowe's defensive breakout real? Or was it just a mirage? Suddenly developing into a great fielder is strange in Year 9, but perhaps Lowe made some critical adjustments.
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Regardless, there are obviously reasons why the Yankees might want to stay away from Lowe if his asking price is really that high, and I would understand it.
But if his contract ends up being more like the one Jim Bowden of The Athletic projected, three years and $45 million, then New York should definitely be taking a look.
