Ought to the Tampa Bay Rays train their possibility on Brandon Lowe’s contract?
Um…Sure!
As apparent as that is to us, we will nonetheless discover the matter a bit.
Brandon Lowe was the Rays third spherical choice within the 2015 draft. The Maryland alum raked his manner via the minor leagues and reached the Rays lively roster in August of 2018, the place he helped the staff obtain 90 wins in what appeared like a misplaced season.
The Rays knew they’d one thing particular in Lowe and signed him to a possible eight yr contract extension throughout spring coaching in 2019, shortly after Lowe made his huge league debut. The contract has seen an enormous return of the Rays funding with Lowe solely receiving $4M AAV over the assured six years of the deal. The Rays do maintain two staff choices for the 2025 and 2026 seasons as $10.5M and $11.5M respectively.
Over his first few seasons, Lowe would showcase himself as one of many premier offensive second baseman in all of baseball; in 2023, when Lowe knocked his a centesimal profession residence run in simply his 477th profession sport, he grew to become the quickest second baseman in MLB historical past to take action. Throughout the Rays World Collection run in a shortened 2020 marketing campaign, Lowe was among the many greatest gamers in all of baseball as he hit .269/.362/.554. The “dawg” adopted that up with a 39 HR season in 2021.
Sadly, Lowe has not been resistant to accidents and he has missed important time. Here’s a fast abstract of Lowe’s unfortunate accidents:
2019: Extreme bone bruise and left quad pressure, performed in 82 video games
2022: Stress response in his again, performed in 65 video games
2023: Again irritation and a fractured knee, performed in 109 video games
2024: Indirect pressure, performed in 107 video games
When wholesome and on the lively roster, Lowe has continued to play his half. From 2022 via 2024, Lowe hit .234/.317/.440 with 50 HR, registering a 116 wRC+ and accruing 5.7 fWAR, enjoying in 281 video games (57.8% of the Rays common season schedule).
The Rays at the moment face a murky monetary state of affairs. There may be the query of Wander Franco’s ongoing authorized state of affairs within the Dominican Republic and whether or not the Rays might be obligated to pay Franco the rest of his $182M contract. The staff at the moment doesn’t have a stadium to name residence as Hurricane Milton shredded the roof of Tropicana Area. The staff’s present TV community is in limbo as Diamond Sports activities Group (Bally Sports activities) halted their contracts after declaring chapter. Within the face of all of those considerations, we’ll be disillusioned by not shocked if the staff had been trying to lower the 2025 payroll.
Declining the choice on Brandon Lowe would alleviate virtually 25% of their estimated 2025 payroll.
After all, the Rays might be able to discover a suiter for Brandon Lowe this winter. On the 2024 commerce deadline, the Rays dealt away many of the core of the roster, however saved Lowe (in addition to a number of others). We all know there have been discussions involving most of those gamers, however the Rays didn’t really feel they had been getting correct worth so discussions led nowhere. Now talks might be revisited and Lowe might very effectively be traded, permitting the Rays to totally unload his staff pleasant contract unto one other group for a prospect which may flip into the following Brandon Lowe.
Groups have 5 days after the top of the World Collection (did the Fall Traditional actually solely go 5 video games? So unhappy) The deadline for the Rays to decide on Brandon Lowe is quick approaching.
It’s an apparent choice.
