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Pirates Extend Qualifying Offer to Brandon Lowe
The Pittsburgh Pirates extended a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer to second baseman Brandon Lowe, according to Alex Stumpf. Lowe has until Nov. 17 to accept or deny it. If he denies and signs elsewhere, the Pirates will get a draft pick. The Pirates and Lowe can still negotiate other contracts. It is only the third time since the inception of the qualifying offer in 2012 that the Pirates have chosen to offer it to a player. Pittsburgh acquired the power-hitting second baseman last offseason in a three-team deal that involved the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros. Not only did Lowe fortify his defense at second base in 2026 to become a Gold Glove finalist for the first time in his career, but he also played in a career-high 150 games while recording a career-best 5.4 wins above replacement. Offensively, he flourished in the Steel City, picking up 96 RBI and an .824 OPS while leading all second basemen with 35 home runs. Lowe is expected to decline the one-year qualifying offer for a more lucrative multi-year deal on the open market. The two-time All-Star now has two straight 30-homer seasons (three in his career) and has some of the best pop among second basemen, but it remains to be seen if he will be able to stay healthy in his 10th year in the big leagues in 2027.
Source: Alex Stumpf
Source: Alex Stumpf
Termarr Johnson Suffers Torn ACL and LCL
According to Colin Beazley, Pittsburgh Pirates infield prospect Termarr Johnson (knee) has suffered a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. Johnson suffered a knee injury on August 8 when he landed awkwardly after stumbling over first base. He's scheduled to be examined by Dr. Dan Cooper next week, but it sounds like bad news for Johnson. This season, Johnson was slashing .199/.336/.319 with eight home runs, 37 RBI, and 24 stolen bases across 96 games with Triple-A Indianapolis. The former first-round pick is going to miss the rest of this season, and it's unclear when he'll be ready to play again.
Source: Colin Beazley
Source: Colin Beazley
Termarr Johnson Going on Injured List With Knee Injury
Pittsburgh Pirates infield prospect Termarr Johnson (knee) is expected to be placed on the 7-day Injured List, according to Danny Demilio. Johnson will head to the shelf after suffering a left knee injury on August 8. He stumbled over first base and landed awkwardly, which resulted in Johnson being carted off the field. It doesn't sound like the young slugger is going to be back anytime soon. In 96 games at Triple-A Indianapolis, Johnson is slashing .199/.336/.319 with eight home runs, 37 RBI, and 24 stolen bases. He was a first-round pick of the Pirates from the 2022 draft. Given the timing of this injury, Johnson is unlikely to play in Pittsburgh this season. There should be more information on his injury in the coming days.
Source: Danny Demilio
Source: Danny Demilio
Pirates to Promote Ronny Simon After Dominant Triple-A Effort
Pittsburgh Pirates infield/outfield prospect Ronny Simon is expected to get the call to the big leagues on Wednesday after a strong campaign at Triple-A Indianapolis. The 5-foot-8 Dominican hit .330 with seven home runs and 33 steals in 99 games for the Indians, while producing a strong .419 on-base percentage thanks in part to a 12.4 percent walk rate. Despite not having big home run totals, his hard-hit rate, average exit velocity (EV), and max EV all register 84th percentile or better at Triple-A, so he has the ability to hit for extra bases, and along with his speed, there are some attributes here that make him a potential fantasy asset. Though the switch-hitter didn't do much in his previous taste of the majors in 2025, there is reason to believe he could have more success this time around. With eligibility at 2B and OF in Yahoo! leagues, the 26-year-old is worth a look in deeper 12+ team leagues, or for any fantasy managers searching the waiver wire for steals.
Source: Alex Stumpf
Source: Alex Stumpf
Nick Gonzales Drawing Attention After Recent Lengthy Hitting Streak
Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Nick Gonzales has been drawing more attention on the waiver wire in fantasy baseball leagues because of his recent hot streak at the plate. Gonzales has gone 0-for-8 so far in two games to begin the month of August, but he ended July on a 15-game hitting streak in which he went 25-for-66 (.379) with two home runs, five doubles, eight RBI, and 11 runs scored in 67 plate appearances. The 27-year-old's hot streak has boosted his overall line in 2026 to .312/.366/.405 with a .771 OPS, six home runs, 50 RBI, 61 runs scored, and five stolen bases across his 407 at-bats in his fourth year in the big leagues with the Bucs. With rookie infielder Konnor Griffin (finger) most likely sidelined until the final month of the regular season, Gonzales should remain locked in as Pittsburgh's primary third baseman, and if he stays hot at the plate, he will continue to be picked up in more leagues. The former first-rounder from New Mexico State University is currently rostered in 57% of Yahoo leagues. He already has a career high in RBI and needs just two more home runs to set a new career high in that category as well.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Nick Gonzales Emerging as a Priority Waiver-Wire Target Amidst July Surge
Across 422 plate appearances in 2026, Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Nick Gonzales is hitting .315/.370/.411 with six home runs, 47 RBI, 59 runs scored, and four stolen bases. The 27-year-old has emerged as Pittsburgh's everyday third baseman in recent weeks amidst a surge at the plate in July. Across 99 plate appearances this month, Gonzales is hitting .385 with three home runs, 12 RBI, and 15 runs scored. Gonzales' power upside is minimal, as he's posted just a 3.2% barrel rate and 36.4% hard-hit rate. However, Gonzales profiles as a steady source of batting average for fantasy managers who should continue to rack up counting stats in an everyday role in the solid Pittsburgh lineup. He also brings multi-positional eligibility in most fantasy leagues, which makes him useful roster depth. Where available, Gonzales profiles as a priority waiver wire target.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Sammy Stafura Stays Red-Hot With Multi-Hit, Multi-Steal Performance
Pittsburgh Pirates infield prospect Sammy Stafura logged yet another multi-hit performance on Tuesday, his 10th multi-hit effort in his last 15 games at High-A, while adding a pair of steals. After an uneven start to the season, which included two stints on the injured list, Stafura is now making up for it. Since June 25, a period of 17 games, the Pirates' 10th-ranked prospect has gone on an otherworldly run of production, hitting .413 with 12 home runs, 36 RBI, 26 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases, good for a .565 wOBA and 227 wRC+ over that period. He's doing so despite an elevated 26.8 percent strikeout rate over that span, although it is an improvement over the 33.3 percent rate he produced at High-A prior to this recent run of success. As a career .251 hitter in the lower levels of the minors, the 21-year-old may have fallen off the dynasty radar, but this type of production shouldn't be ignored, and the former second-rounder may finally be living up to his draft-day potential.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Brandon Lowe Remains a Strong Source of Power
Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe didn't get an All-Star nod, despite being well deserving of one. The 32-year-old is coming off a strong first half with the Pirates. Through 90 games, Lowe is slashing .246/.316/.487 with 21 home runs and 64 RBI. He smacked 31 long balls last season and has a good chance of surpassing that this season. Outside of the power, Lowe isn't offering a ton of upside to fantasy managers. The veteran slugger doesn't hit for average, walk much or steal bases at a high rate. Fantasy managers looking for help in the power department should hang onto Lowe, but he could be an interesting sell-high candidate.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Nick Gonzales Can Help With Infield Depth Off the Waiver Wire
Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman/third baseman Nick Gonzales can be a great fill-in addition off the waiver wire if you need help at multiple infield spots. He has spent most of the year at the hot corner, but has other eligibility as well in most formats. The 27-year-old has been a utility man most of his career, but has taken a nice step forward in a regular role over the past several weeks. Since June 1, Gonzales has been hitting .314 with three homers, 24 runs scored, and 17 RBI in 37 games. He has moved all over the batting order during that span, starting as the leadoff hitter and the cleanup hitter as the Pirates shuffle different combinations. He has a .364 wOBA since June 1 and just a 17.8% K%. His contact numbers and solid counting stats production are good enough to earn him a roster spot in most standard-sized leagues. He doesn't have elite power or stolen base potential, but if you need a batting average booster who can score runs and chip in countable stats, Gonzales is worth a look as long as he remains in an everyday role.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Pirates Acquire Jacob Gonzalez From the White Sox
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired infielder Jacob Gonzalez and left-handed reliever Brandon Eisert from the Chicago White Sox on Friday for the 34th pick in the 2026 MLB draft on Saturday and left-handed reliever Jaden Woods, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. Gonzalez, the 15th overall pick by Chicago in 2023 out of the University of Mississippi, was considered the White Sox's No. 22 prospect before the trade. He was brought up to the big leagues for the first time when Munetaka Murakami went on the injured list with a hamstring injury, and he made his debut on the South Side on May 31. In his first 30 games at the major-league level, Gonzalez hit .244 (21-for-86) with two home runs, 17 RBI, and 11 runs scored in 97 plate appearances. The Pirates swooped in to trade for the left-handed hitter after Murakami returned from the IL on Friday. Gonzalez is now worth a look in NL-only fantasy leagues with the potential for regular playing time in Pittsburgh, with both shortstop Konnor Griffin (finger) and first baseman Spencer Horwitz (hamstring) on the shelf.
Source: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
Source: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
Brandon Lowe on the Bench Due to Knee Injury
Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe (knee) is not in the starting lineup for the team's series finale on Sunday in Atlanta against the Braves, according to MLB.com. Nick Gonzales will start at the keystone and is hitting second against right-hander Bryce Elder. Lowe is out after fouling a ball off his right knee in the ninth inning of Saturday's game at Truist Park. Thankfully, a CT scan after the game ruled out a fractured kneecap, which is something he suffered to the same knee back in September of 2023. Even with an off day coming on Monday for Pittsburgh, fantasy managers shouldn't assume that Lowe will be back in the starting nine for Tuesday's game back in the Steel City against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. The 31-year-old left-handed-hitting second baseman is hitting just .249 (57-for-229) in his first year in Pittsburgh, but he has contributed plenty of counting stats for fantasy managers, producing 15 home runs, 41 RBI, and 40 runs scored across his 59 games and 261 plate appearances in his first year with the Bucs.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Nick Gonzales Exits Early with Knee Discomfort
Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Nick Gonzales (knee) was forced to make an early exit from Thursday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Gonzalez was seen limping out of the box during his at-bat in the second inning. He was removed shortly after that, with Tyler Callihan replacing him at third base. Gonzales was hitless in his lone at-bat of the game. He fouled a ball off his knee on Wednesday, so he could've aggravated that issue. For now, fantasy managers should consider Gonzales as day-to-day with left knee discomfort. Fantasy managers will need to check back ahead of Friday's game against the Minnesota Twins for another update on his status.
Source: Pittsburgh Pirates
Source: Pittsburgh Pirates
Brandon Lowe has Two-Homer Game in Loss to Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe did his best to help his team against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park on Friday, but it was not enough in a 10-inning, 11-9 loss. Lowe went 2-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, three RBI, and two strikeouts to raise his season average to .252 and his OPS to .915. Lowe now has four home runs in 12 games in May and 12 home runs overall in 39 games to begin his first year in the Steel City with the Bucs. The veteran left-handed-hitting second baseman came into Friday's series opener with a .247/.351/.527 slash line, an .878 OPS, 28 RBI, and 24 runs scored in 171 total plate appearances. The two-time All-Star reached the 30-homer mark for the second time in 2025 in his final year with the Tampa Bay Rays, and he's on pace to get there again in 2026 if he can stay healthy. Lowe brings above-average pop to the second base position for fantasy managers, but he also has a lengthy injury history. So far, he's been an excellent value pick for fantasy managers.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
