The Los Angeles Angels are acquiring outfielder Josh Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays as part of a three-team trade that sends relief pitcher Brock Burke to the Cincinnati Reds, and infielder Gavin Lux and reliever Chris Clark to Tampa, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on Thursday night.
Lowe, a five-year veteran and 2016 draft pick by the Rays, is coming off a tough two-year stretch in which he has posted a combined slash line of .230/.292/.378 with 0.8 bWAR in 214 games. He missed 56 games in 2024 with a right oblique injury as his OPS dipped to .693 from a career-high .835 the year before. In 2025, Lowe strained his oblique again on Opening Day and didn’t return until May 15. He was never able to get into a rhythm from then on, finishing the season with a .649 OPS.
Despite the back-to-back injury-riddled seasons, Lowe remained a respected clubhouse presence among his Rays teammates. He fills a need for the Angels, who have been shorthanded in the outfield for quite some time. In 2025, the Halos’ outfield depth was a consistent issue and saw them shuffle through prospects such as Kyren Paris, Matthew Lugo and Bryce Teodosio. It’s worth noting that Lowe remains under club control for the next three years.
The Angels are betting on Lowe getting back to the level he was at in 2023, when he hit 20 home runs, finished top five in the American League in stolen bases (32) and posted career-high numbers across the board. That seems to be a philosophy Angels GM Perry Minasian has taken this offseason as he’s taken fliers on Kirby Yates, Grayson Rodriguez, Alek Manoah, Vaughn Grissom and Jordan Romano, all of whom are in need of a bounce-back year.
But even after freeing up a chunk of payroll with the deferment of third baseman Anthony Rendon’s contract last month, the Halos have yet to make a major move. It remains to be seen if they will this offseason.
“Offseasons are long, right?” Minasian told reporters. “If you look at what we did last year, I signed Kenley Jansen and Yoán Moncada with a couple days left right before Spring Training. So, there’s still a lot of good players out there.
‘We’re still looking for ways to improve the team.’