PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates need a second baseman for 2027, and they have interesting offseason options for the position.

Brandon Lowe, the Pirates' second baseman in 2026, is now a free agent, and after a stellar year offensively and defensively, he'll be a top option for MLB teams in want of his services.

One free agent option for the Pirates is Jazz Chisholm Jr., who could be in play if they miss out on Lowe. Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller recently predicted the All-Star would end up in Pittsburgh this offseason after leaving New York.

There's a lot to like about Chisholm for the Pirates, but it's not something they should entertain for 2027.

Why the Pirates Signing Chisholm Doesn't Make Sense

The Pirates were interested in Chisholm at the 2024 trade deadline, when they were above .500 and in the National League Wild Card race.

Chisholm would've given the Pirates an outfield option and a strong left-handed power bat that plays at PNC Park, but they missed out on that addition, with the New York Yankees bringing him on.

The Pirates would still take interest in that left-handed power from Chisholm and that he is a second baseman, a position of need.

Chisholm didn't have the best 2026 campaign, hitting .231/.312/.399 for an OPS of .711 in 137 games, with 108 hits, 16 doubles, 19 home runs, 55 RBI and 56 walks to 157 strikeouts.

His 19 home runs were the least since 2023 and his .711 OPS was his lowest-ever in a full season.

Chisholm is a great base stealer, with 41 stolen bases on 50 attempts, tied for the fourth-most stolen bases in MLB this season.

The Pirates have two reliable base stealers, shortstop Konnor Griffin and center fielder Oneil Cruz, and even outfielder Jake Mangum steals some bases at times.

Chisholm's advanced fielding stats are also split, with Field Bible not viewing him highly and Statcast viewing him much better.

Field Bible's stats are defensive runs saved (DRS) and plus/minus runs saved above average (rPM), giving Chisholm -3 rPM and -6 DRS.

Statcast has outs above average (OAA) and fielding run value (FRV), giving Chishom +13 OAA and +8 FRV.

There are definitely some positives to Chisholm, especially being able to move around as well as he is with his athleticism (OAA), but he has also made some poor defensive errors.

Chisholm would also be far out of the Pirates' price range, costing $20 million or more per year, and would want a long-term contract.

The Pirates would be better off finding someone for a shorter amount of time, and that would also cost less money than Chisholm.

What Should the Pirates Do at Second Base?

It's clear that the Pirates bringing back Brandon Lowe would be the best solution for 2027.

Lowe hit 35 home runs in 2026, the most for a Pirate since Josh Bell with 37 in 2019, and led all second basemen in home runs, 288 total bases, a .493 slugging percentage and a .824 OPS.

He also went from the worst defensive second baseman in 2025 to a National League Gold Glove Award finalist in 2026.

The Pirates benefited so much from Lowe's presence, as he was a great clubhouse leader and did great work in the community.

Players made it known of Lowe's importance to the team and that they wanted him back, and doing so would also show the fans that the Pirates are committed to winning.

The Pirates will have to spend serious money to keep Lowe and do so over a three-to four-year period, even at 32, but it's something they need to do to finally make the postseason in 2027.