Rays acquire Brandon Lowe replacement at a hefty price

Baseball can be a cruel world at times as some trades make you want to smile and cry at the same time. After losing one of the Rays' greatest franchise infielders in a three-team trade, Tampa Bay has acquired former Dodgers top prospect and two-time World Series champion Gavin Lux in another three-team deal. Lux will immediately fill into the second base vacancy left after the Pittsburgh trade pending any other infield acquisitions, but what was the sacrifice?

Rays trade outfielder Josh Lowe to the Reds for infielder Gavin Lux and minor league pitcher Chris Clark

The Rays have dealt another one of their original guys. 27-year-old Josh Lowe by the Rays in the first round of the 2016 draft out of Pope High School in Marietta, GA. Tampa Bay also drafted his brother Nathaniel Lowe 12 rounds later in the same draft. The two highly touted prospects raced through the minor leagues, although the older brother Nathaniel beat him to the punch a few years earlier. He made his debut with the Rays in 2018, while Josh Lowe got into his first MLB contest in 2021. Despite losing this race, everyone knew that his pure athleticism could allow him to outshine his brother and many others on the field.

Josh Lowe displayed speed, baserunning skills, great outfield defense, and strong power from the left side of the plate. The front office was salivating over his official rookie season in 2022. However, Lowe didn't show his full potential until 2023 where the 6'4 outfielder slashed .292/.335/.500 with 20 home runs and 32 stolen bases. Injuries have conflicted his stats since, but Rays' fans will always appreciate the strong clubhouse presence of Josh Lowe.

The return for this deal is huge for the Rays. Before this trade, the roster looked rather bleak at the second base position. Utility-man Richie Palacios? Carson Williams or Taylor Walls? Chandler Simpson played second in college, right? There were so many question marks about the position that beloved Brandon Lowe used to lock up year in and year out.

However, the biggest piece of this deal can automatically fill in at second base. Along with impressive defense, Gavin Lux can display a very consistent bat. The power numbers have never come to fruition, but .256 career average will play on any team. The 28-year-old may well be in his prime also as he put up career-best numbers in hits, doubles, and RBIs with the Reds a season ago. Another great trait for the newest Ray is that he has postseason experience. Lux has 17 career hits over 10 playoff series, including two home runs. If the Rays are headed back to the playoffs for the first time since 2023, it will be great to have a player with the pedigree of Lux.