Another SF Giants infield target is now off the board after Pirates swing three-way trade

The SF Giants have been busier with real estate transactions than making any meaningful upgrades to the on-the-field product this offseason, and another of the most prominent names the Giants have been connected to is now off the board. Chandler Rome and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic broke the news that Brandon Lowe, the slugging second baseman from the Rays, has been traded to Pittsburgh in a three-team deal along with switch-hitting outfielder Jake Mangum.

Another SF Giants infield target is now off the board after Pirates swing three-way trade

The Pirates effectively plugged two of their lineup holes in one deal, all for the cost of back-of-the-rotation starter Mike Burrows.

Lowe was probably not the cleanest fit for the Giants, it’s still a disappointment that they felt they couldn’t match what the Pirates gave up to receive him and another valuable piece in Mangum. Lowe’s defense would have been a step down from Schmitt’s at the keystone, and lefty power famously doesn’t play very well with McCovey Cove looming in right field – but 30-homer power from a second baseman is a rare thing indeed in today’s game.

Lowe, who will be a free agent after the coming season, was one of the three second base upgrades most prominently connected to the Giants. The other two, Brendan Donovan and Ketel Marte, have yet to be moved, though the Giants are said to be on Marte’s no-trade list and can pretty much be ruled out as a viable target with that in mind.

With Lowe now off the market, the Cardinals may be justified in raising their return demands for Donovan even further with one less alternative available.

Second base would be one of the easiest areas for the Giants to make a meaningful upgrade this offseason (Bo Bichette’s still out there, too…), but the pitching staff and outfield are probably still bigger areas of concern that remain to be dealt with. Their biggest addition in the outfield to this point, Joey Wiemer, was already designated for assignment to make room for injured reliever Jason Foley.

Now, the only change the Giants have made on the grass is effectively swapping out Marco Luciano for Justin Dean, the defensive specialist who just got a ring with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Dean has options remaining, though, so he was never likely to crack the Opening Day roster at all – so as things stand today, the Giants outfield looks the same as it did last season, and that’s an untenable situation for a team that hopes to compete for a playoff spot.

The Giants may have decided they don’t have much money to spend to make upgrades, but when even the lowly Pirates are showing you up? It’s not a good look for any organization. The calendar is about to flip over to a new year, and the hot seat the Giants are sitting in is only getting warmer.