PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates don't have a set second baseman for 2027 and will explore their options at the pivotal position.

The Pirates made a great trade by adding Brandon Lowe last offseason, who was the best power-hitting second baseman in baseball in 2026, leading with 35 home runs, a .493 slugging percentage and an .824 OPS.

Lowe is now a free agent, and it's not a certainty that the Pirates re-sign him for the future.

The Pirates have other external options at second base, and one of them is Gleyber Torres, who Jim Bowden of The Athletic named as a free agent fit for them.

Why Gleyber Torres Makes Sense For the Pirates

Torres has been one of the better second basemen since making his debut with the New York Yankees in 2018.

He's a three-time All-Star, 2018 and 2019 with the Yankees and 2025 with the Detroit Tigers, and has shown good to great power and been a solid hitter too.

Torres is coming off a 2026 season where he hit .260/.364/363 for an OPS of .727, with 93 hits, 13 doubles, eight home runs, 38 RBI and 57 walks to 81 strikeouts in 96 games.

He missed more than 60 games with two stints on the injured list for a left oblique strain, but also posted the best on-base percentage of his career (.364) as well.

Torres is a solid top-of-the-lineup addition and would complement shortstop Konnor Griffin, who will most likely serve as the Pirates' leadoff hitter in 2027.

He isn't the greatest defensive second baseman, +3 defensive runs saved (DRS) and -5 outs above average (OAA), but the Pirates helped turn Lowe from the worst defensive second baseman in 2025 to a National League Gold Glove finalist in 2026.

Torres could give the Pirates a veteran bat in their lineup, that while not exactly like Lowe, would still be a good partnership with Griffin for 2027.

Will the Pirates Try And Sign Torres?

The Pirates will most likely put most of their free agent efforts into trying to re-sign Lowe, which would make the most sense.

Bringing back your star second baseman, who thrived on the field, both at the plate and defensively, served as a leader in the clubhouse and was great off the field, is the smartest move, especially when your players made it known they want him back.

Torres would also come at a high price, after he made $15 million in 2025 and then $22 million with the qualifying offer in 2026.

The Pirates could bring the price down if they offer a multi-year deal, but he will still cost in the range of $15-20 million, which will likely be around Lowe's price point.

Pittsburgh, if Lowe doesn't re-sign, would likely turn to Nick Gonzales at second base and probably focus free agent efforts elsewhere, rather than paying for Torres.

Torres could work for the Pirates, and it makes sense that Bowden named him a fit for this team, but it would be surprising if he ends up in Pittsburgh in 2027.