Padres Free Agency Wish List: Brandon Lowe Is Worth Displacing Jake Cronenworth

[Yirsandy Rodríguez]

The San Diego Padres would probably like to add some offense to the roster, even though the rotation will be their primary focus this offseason. Finding spots on the depth chart other than left field (and maybe designated hitter) to accomodate such additions, however, is a little tricky.

The inconsistencies of second baseman Jake Cronenworth over the last few seasons should be argument enough to at least put his spot up for grabs, especially after his decline in 2026. He produced a line of just .225/.308/.321 with seven home runs, 41 RBIs, and an 83 wRC+ in 109 games. His only offensive awakening came in July, when he posted a 119 wRC+, and then in September, which ended with a .418 slugging percentage, his highest in any month of the entire campaign. Yes, I haven’t forgotten his important home run in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers, although that was just an offensive flash between his limited .176/.222/.353 line in 19 plate appearances during the postseason.

All of this ties back to his loss of value as a hitter and fielder. He just suffered his biggest drop in walk rate, from 13.4 BB% in 2025 to 8.9 BB% in 2026, his occasional power has disappeared, and he has stopped being an above-average baserunner in the league. All these offensive problems have been joined by his defensive limitations, as he accumulated -3 Fielding Run Value, with problems in his range and difficulties handling double-play situations.

With all that in mind, this could be a great time for the Padres to solve these problems in the free-agent market, and they still have enough time before December 1 arrives and all negotiations stop because of the lockout. There are several interesting options, but Brandon Lowe is the player who combines all the necessary ingredients to be a bona fide upgrade; he's a proven power left-handed bat and just showed off some elite defense.

For those who weren't in tune with the Pirates this year, Lowe just finished the best season of his career, recording a career-high fWAR of 4.9 thanks primarily to the 35 home run and 96 RBIs he was responsible for. His power was not the product of a breakout season, as he has a streak of four consecutive seasons with at least 20 home runs, which he has raised to a minimum of 30 home runs and 80 RBIs over the last two seasons. Then, there is another interesting point here, as Lowe is not the typical hitter who walks a lot, but he finished 2026 with the best batting average and BABIP of his entire career in qualified seasons, producing marks of .260 and .319, respectively. Lowe kept crushing fastballs and hit 19 home runs against that pitch type for the second consecutive year, the second-highest mark of his career since the 25 he hit in 2021 when he played for the Rays.

The fact that he maintains his power at this level of production would bring a great contribution to the Padres’ lineup on its own, but his defensive improvements undoubtedly mark another notable difference from the Lowe of just a couple of seasons ago. He recorded -10 FRV last year in his final season in Tampa Bay, but he came into this year focused on improving his defense and managed to take a gigantic step forward. From among the worst results among second basemen in all of Major League Baseball, Lowe finished in the 98th percentile with +15 OAA. His range improved considerably and, although his arm strength is still below the league average, he compensated with every other part of his game and finished with a final mark of +12 FRV.

Lowe will be one of the most sought-after second basemen this winter alongside Luis Arraez, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Gleyber Torres, although his all-around game is what makes him the most interesting. Arraez is a known quantity around these parts and had a really nice campaign split between Philadelphia and San Francisco (and Chisholm has enormous upside), but if the goal is to get a guaranteed upgrade over Cronenworth, Lowe is the only option available.

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