The Angels upgraded their outfield on Thursday, acquiring Josh Lowe from the Rays as part of a three-team trade that includes the Halos sending left-hander Brock Burke to the Reds and Tampa Bay receiving infielder Gavin Lux from Cincinnati and Minor League right-hander Chris Clark from the Angels, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
The clubs have not confirmed the move.
TRADE DETAILS
Angels receive: OF Josh Lowe
Reds receive: LHP Brock Burke
Rays receive: INF Gavin Lux, RHP Chris Clark
Lowe, who turns 28 in February, fits the bill of a left-handed hitting outfielder the Angels were in the market for. What position he might play, however, is a bit more unclear. The Angels have a clear need for a center fielder, and Lowe has played mostly right field, though he does have some experience in center and left.
Whether the Angels decide to platoon him with Bryce Teodosio in center or play him elsewhere, Lowe provides a much-needed boost against right-handed pitching. He is a career .266 hitter with a .772 OPS against right-handers over his five Major League seasons, as opposed to hitting just .181 with a .504 OPS vs. lefties.
Lowe enjoyed by far his best season as a big leaguer in 2023, when he hit .292 with a .835 OPS, 20 home runs, 33 doubles, 83 RBIs and 32 stolen bases in 135 games with Tampa Bay. He has struggled to replicate that success over the past two seasons, and a large part of that reasoning could be attributed to injuries. He dealt with oblique and hamstring issues in ‘24, then sustained another right oblique strain in his first game of last season that kept him out until May 15 in a campaign in which he hit .220 with a .650 OPS, 11 homers and 40 RBIs in 108 games.
Burke, who had recently agreed to a one-year, $2.325 million contract for the 2026 season with the Angels to avoid arbitration, was arguably the top-performing lefty in the Angels bullpen last season, posting a 3.36 ERA in 69 games with 52 strikeouts and 18 walks across 61 2/3 innings.
A first-round selection by the Rays in the 2016 MLB Draft, Lowe is in search of a bounce-back season and should get plenty of opportunity to do so with the Angels, who could still look to add another outfielder before Spring Training.