Report: Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays working on three-way trade

The Houston Astros appear set to make a big addition to their starting rotation via a three-team trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays, according to multiple reports.

As The Athletic’s Chandler Rome reports, the Astros are in discussions on a deal that would send righty starter Mike Burrows to Houston from Pittsburgh, infielder Brandon Lowe to the Pirates from the Rays, with a host of other prospects involved.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal adds that the Pirates are expected to receive outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery from the Rays.

Burrows would the headliner in the deal. The 25-year-old pitched to a 3.94 earned-run average in 23 games (19 starts) in his first full season of big-league action with the Pirates in 2025. He struck out 97 batters across 96 innings.

The former top prospect participated in the 2022 Futures Game, and though he may have been overshadowed by fellow pitching prospects Jared Jones and superstar Paul Skenes in the Pirates’ system, Burrows would figure to fill a big hole in the Astros rotation left by the departure of Framber Valdez in free agency this off-season.

Lowe is an eight-year veteran and consistent power bat at second base. He hit 31 home runs with 83 runs batted in and a .256 batting average with the Rays last season, the second All-Star campaign of his career. Lowe finished in the top 10 in AL MVP voting in 2020 and ‘21, and has hit more than 20 home runs in four of the past five seasons.

Tampa Bay is also giving up Mangum, 29, who hit .296 in his rookie campaign in 2025, and Montgomery, 25, who had a 5.67 ERA out of the bullpen in 57 games this past season.

It is unclear who the Rays will be receiving in this deal, or who the Astros will be giving up.

More to come.