Free agency should give the New York Yankees an opportunity to replace Gleyber Torres. Whether they find the player they want in free agency remains to be seen, but if they don’t, the Yankees could head to the trade market to find his replacement.
Brandon Lowe of the Tampa Bay Rays, a rival of the Yankees, has been viewed as a trade candidate. The one-time All-Star can swing it at a high level when he’s at his best, but injuries have slowed down his career. Still, if the Yankees are comfortable taking a risk on him staying healthy, he’d be an ideal candidate.
The two were linked to a potential deal by Mike Axisa of CBS Sports. Axisa named the Yankees a “potential fit” for Lowe, highlighting how the Rays trade most of their top players yearly.
“The Rays trade their most expensive players every offseason like clockwork and Lowe’s $10.5 million 2025 salary is currently the highest on the roster. He’s played first base in addition to second, and his lefty pull power would fit perfectly with Yankee Stadium’s short right field porch. Intradivision trades are always tricky,” Axisa wrote on November 12.
“Tricky does not mean impossible though. Could these two AL East rivals hook up for a Lowe trade this winter?”
Will Lowe Be Traded?
There have been conflicting reports regarding whether Lowe will be moved. Before the Tampa Bay Rays exercised their $10.5 million contract option for 2025, he was viewed as one of the more intriguing free agents on the market.
Instead, for $10.5 million, the New York Yankees divisional rivals kept one of the better players at his position when healthy.
Still, the Rays might’ve picked up his option to move him and get back a return instead of losing him for nothing.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com named him a trade candidate, too, but added that it’ll likely only be if the Rays want to shed payroll.
“As with Díaz, Lowe’s salary makes him a candidate to be moved by the Rays. The 30-year-old has missed more than 50 games in each of the past two seasons but managed to hit 21 home runs in both years,” Feinsand wrote on November 12. “The Rays exercised their $10.5 million contract option for 2025, but they could look to move Lowe to free up payroll or address other areas of the roster.
“Lowe’s contract also includes an $11.5 million club option for 2026, giving an acquiring team two years of control at that price. Díaz appears to be the more likely player for the Rays to move. But if freeing up payroll is a priority, a Lowe trade can’t be counted out.”
Would Lowe Be An Upgrade Over Torres?
The New York Yankees would have to determine if Lowe would be an upgrade over Torres. Availability is often the best ability, and the left-handed hitter hasn’t been available for much of the past three seasons.
Since 2022, Lowe has played in just 281 games. Despite that injury history, it’s tough to ignore a 113 OPS+ hitter with 50 home runs in that span.
Torres has put up similar numbers for parts of his career, but after a slow campaign in 2024, Lowe has an argument to be the better player when he’s on the field.
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