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  • Pirates' Mason Montgomery: Lands with Pirates in trade

    The Pirates acquired Montgomery from the Rays on Friday in a three-team trade, Chandler Rome and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic report.

    Montgomery logged a 5.67 ERA and walked 27 over 46 innings with the Rays in 2025, but he also struck out 63 batters and, at 98.7 mph, has one of the hardest average four-seamer velocities in the game. The lefty has past starting experience, but the Pirates are likely to keep Montgomery in the bullpen, and he could work his way into high-leverage appearances.

  • Anderson Brito SP | HOU

    Rays' Anderson Brito: Dealt to Tampa Bay

    The Rays acquired Brito and Jacob Melton from the Astros on Friday in a three-team trade that sent Mike Burrows to the Astros and Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery to the Pirates, Chandler Rome and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic report.

    The 21-year-old right-hander spent the entire 2025 campaign at High-A Asheville and started all 12 games in which he appeared, registering a 3.28 ERA and 11.9 K/9 across 49.1 innings of action. Brito missed some time with an unspecified injury but was back to full strength in October.

  • Jake Mangum CF | TB

    Pirates' Jake Mangum: Sent packing to Pittsburgh

    The Pirates acquired Mangum from the Rays on Friday in a three-team trade, Chandler Rome and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic report.

    Mangum had a successful rookie season in 2025 with the Rays, slashing .296/.330/.368 with three home runs and 27 stolen bases. He'll turn 30 in March but is under team control through 2030. Mangum could be the favorite to open the 2026 season as the Pirates' starting left fielder, and he's capable of handling all three outfield spots.

  • Jacob Melton OF | HOU

    Rays' Jacob Melton: Shipped to Tampa Bay

    The Rays acquired Melton and Anderson Brito from the Astros on Friday in a three-team trade that sent Mike Burrows to the Astros and Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery to the Pirates, Chandler Rome and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic report.

    Melton was one of Houston's top prospects, and the 25-year-old got his first taste of MLB action last season, appearing in 32 games for the Astros. The outfielder slashed .157/.234/.186 with one triple, seven RBI, seven runs scored, seven stolen bases and a 6:29 BB:K across 78 big-league plate appearances. He figures to initially slot into Tampa Bay's outfield mix behind Chandler Simpson, Cedric Mullins, Josh Lowe and potentially even Jake Fraley.

  • Astros' Mike Burrows: Heading to Houston

    The Astros are acquiring Burrows from the Pirates on Friday in a three-team trade that also includes the Rays, Chandler Rome, Stephen J. Nesbitt and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

    Burrows opened 2025 in the minors but made his season debut for the Pirates in May, and he delivered a strong rookie campaign with a 3.94 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 97:31 K:BB across 96 innings. The right-hander is the only piece heading to the Astros in the deal, with Brandon Lowe, Mason Montgomery and Jake Mangum moving to Pittsburgh while the Rays get Anderson Brito and Jacob Melton. Burrows should slot into the middle of Houston's rotation during his sophomore campaign.

  • Brandon Lowe 2B | TB

    Pirates' Brandon Lowe: Goes to Pirates in three-team deal

    The Pirates acquired Lowe, Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery from the Rays on Friday in a three-team trade that sent Mike Burrows to the Astros and Jacob Melton and Anderson Brito to Tampa Bay, Chandler Rome and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic report.

    The Rays picked up Lowe's $11.5 million option for 2026 last month but will now ship him to another team. Lowe slashed .256/.307/.477 with 31 home runs over 134 games with the Rays during the 2025 season. The 31-year-old will give the Pirates some much-needed thump to their lineup and also take over at a position of need in second base.

  • Matt Koperniak RF | STL

    Cardinals' Matt Koperniak: Remains in organization

    The Cardinals outrighted Koperniak to Triple-A Memphis on Friday.

    While no longer on the 40-man roster, Koperniak will remain in the organization after passing through waivers unclaimed. The 27-year-old outfielder is coming off a poor 2025 season at Memphis, slashing .249/.322/.387 across 537 plate appearances.

  • Jose Miranda 3B | MIN

    Padres' Jose Miranda: Inks minors deal with Padres

    The Padres signed Miranda to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Aram Leighton of JustBaseball.com reports.

    Miranda showed promise at times while with the Twins, but he crashed out in 2025, going 6-for-36 with the big club and hitting only .195/.272/.296 across 371 plate appearances at Triple-A St. Paul. Still, the 27-year-old is a solid get on a minor-league contract, and there's a non-zero chance he pushes for playing time at first base in San Diego.

  • Austin Overn CF | BAL

    Rays' Austin Overn: Shipped to Rays

    The Rays acquired Overn, Slater de Brun, Caden Bodine and Michael Forret from the Orioles on Friday in exchange for Shane Baz, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

    It's a big haul for Tampa Bay, but it's a seller's market and Baz is under team control for three more seasons. Overn split last season between High-A and Double-A, and he posted a .753 OPS at both levels while totaling 13 home runs and 63 stolen bases in 114 games.

  • Michael Forret SP | BAL

    Rays' Michael Forret: Shipped to Rays

    The Rays acquired Forret, Slater de Brun, Caden Bodine, Austin Overn and a Competitive Balance Round A pick from the Orioles on Friday in exchange for Shane Baz, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

    Forret began the 2025 season at High-A Aberdeen and finished it at Double-A Chesapeake, holding a sparkling 1.58 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 91:21 K:BB over 74 innings between the two stops. The right-hander will be heading into his age-22 season and is likely to begin the year at Double-A Montgomery.

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