Cross another picture-perfect fit for the Cincinnati Reds off the board, with Brandon Lowe heading to the rival Pittsburgh Pirates in a wild three-team deal that also involved the Tampa Bay Rays and the Houston Astros.
Lowe would have brought some serious left-handed thump to the Reds lineup. The 31-year-old second baseman crushed 31 long balls and slugged .477 last season. Cincinnati got just 37 homers from all of their left-handed bats combined last season, as the group combined for an anemic .384 slugging percentage that ranked 24th in the league.
Making just $11.5 million in the final year of his deal, Lowe would have been one of the few options that the Reds could have fit into their budget.