Rays make blockbuster trades with the Astros, Orioles and Pirates

Brandon Lowe (YouTube)

Just like the Philadelphia Phillies, the Tampa Bay Rays made multiple transactions of note on Friday. First, they traded pitcher Shane Baz of Houston, Texas to the Baltimore Orioles for four prospects (outfielders Slater de Brun and Austin Overn, catcher Caden Bodine, and pitcher Michael Forret). Then they traded second baseman Brandon Lowe of Newport News, Virginia to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-team transaction. Also in the deal, Pittsburgh got reliever Mason Montgomery of Austin, Texas, and outfielder Jake Mangum of Flowood, Mississippi from the Rays, the Houston Astros traded outfielder Jacob Melton of Medford, Oregon and pitching prospect Anderson of Sucre, Venezuela to the Rays, and the Pirates traded Mike Burrows of Waterford, Connecticut to the Astros.

Baz played four seasons with Tampa Bay. In 2025, he had a record of 10 wins and 12 losses with an earned run average of 4.87. In 31 games and 166 1/3 innings pitched, Baz gave up 158 hits, 90 earned runs, 26 home runs and 64 walks, to go along with 176 strikeouts, 11 quality starts, and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.34.

Burrows has pitched the last two seasons with the Pirates. In 2025, he had a record of two wins and four losses, with an earned run average of 3.94. In 23 games and 96 innings pitched, Burrows gave up 88 hits, 42 earned runs, 13 home runs and 31 walks, to go along with 97 strikeouts, one hold, two quality starts and a WHIP of 1.24.

Burrows’s first win of the season ironically came in a 3-0 Pirates win over the Astros on June 4 (zero earned runs in 5 1/3 innings). Burrows’s second win came in a 3-0 Pirates win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 3. Burrows’s hold came in a 9-3 Pirates win over the Atlanta Braves on September 26.

Lowe has spent the last eight seasons with the Rays, and was an All-Star in 2019 and 2025. This past season, he batted .256 with 31 home runs and 83 runs batted. During 134 games, 507 at bats, and 553 plate appearances, Lowe scored 79 runs and had 130 hits, 19 doubles, three stolen bases, 38 walks, 242 total bases, six sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .307, and a slugging percentage of .477.

Mangum was a rookie for the Rays last season. He batted .296 with three home runs and 40 runs batted in. During 118 games, Mangum scored 37 runs, and had 120 hits, 18 doubles, one triple, 27 stolen baes, 19 walks, 149 total bases, one sacrifice bunt, one sacrifice fly. an on base percentage of .330, and a slugging percentage of .368. Mangum’s triple came in a 4-0 Rays win over the Kansas City Royals on June 26. Mangum’s sacrifice fly came in a 7-3 Rays win over the Boston Red Sox on September 21.