The Rays, Angels, and Reds agreed to a three-team trade that’ll send outfielder Josh Lowe to the Angels, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. Infielder Gavin Lux heads from Cincinnati to Tampa Bay alongside minor league pitcher Chris Clark, who comes over from the Angels. Cincinnati acquired lefty reliever Brock Burke from the Halos.
Kyle Tucker stole the headlines tonight, but this trio of teams still came together for an interesting swap. It’s the second trade involving an everyday outfielder for the Angels this offseason. This time, the player is coming their way. Lowe will fill the outfield void left by Taylor Ward, who was shipped to Baltimore for Grayson Rodriguez. Tampa Bay entered the winter with a pair of Lowes, but the club will head into 2026 without either one. The versatile Lux can fill the void left by the Brandon Lowe deal. Cincinnati nets a veteran southpaw, while also getting off the $5.525MM contract Lux received in arbitration. Burke will make about half of that this season.
Lowe seemed like a fixture in Tampa Bay’s lineup after a massive 20/30 campaign in 2023. He posted a 135 wRC+ in his first season as a regular. Injuries would stifle his production the next two seasons. Oblique and hamstring issues delayed the start of his 2024 season. The oblique cost him time later that year, and then again at the beginning of this past season. He wasn’t productive when healthy this year, stumbling to a career-worst 79 wRC+. Lowe hit .139 with a 35.3% strikeout rate in his final month with the team.
With Ward gone and Mike Trout penciled in at DH, the Angels had limited options in the outfield prior to the move. Lowe will now slot in alongside Jo Adell and Jorge Soler. The Rays shielded him from lefties for much of his time there, and with good reason. Lowe has a .504 OPS and a 33% strikeout rate in his limited work against same-handed pitching (288 plate appearances). He could be ticketed for regular at-bats given the lack of a platoon partner. The right-handed bench outfielder is currently Bryce Teodosio, a glove-first option. Trout only made 22 starts in the outfield last season, but that could change considering the alternatives.
Lowe received a $2.6MM deal in arbitration this year. It was his first trip through the process. He won’t be a free agent until the 2029 season. The Angels’ estimated payroll on RosterResource still sits at about $30MM below last year’s mark.
The Reds acquired Lux last offseason in a trade with the Dodgers. He delivered league-average results at the plate in his lone season in Cincinnati. Lux made most of his appearances in left field, while also spending time at second base and third base. He was also used frequently as a pinch hitter. The multifaceted role led to a career-high 501 plate appearances for Lux.
The Rays had a clear gap at second base after the (first) Lowe trade. The internal choices were uninspiring. Lux should step into a near-everyday role, with Tampa Bay’s typical platoon shenanigans likely capping his reps against left-handed pitching. Ryan Vilade, also acquired in a trade with the Reds, could serve as the right-handed bat in the pairing.
More to come.