Nathaniel Lowe, Red Sox Reportedly Finalizing Contract Amid 2025 MLB Playoff Race

The Boston Red Sox are adding veteran first baseman Nathaniel Lowe after the Washington Nationals designated him for assignment, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Lowe is in the midst of his worst offensive season. He's batting .216 with a .373 slugging percentage.

The 2025 season is a clear outlier for the 30-year-old, though. Between 2019-24, he never had an OPS+ lower than 107 and combined to slug .433, per Baseball Reference.

Lowe also boasts some playoff experience, appearing in all 17 of the Texas Rangers' games when they won a World Series title in 2023. He had a .259/.310/.519 slash line in the ALCS against the Houston Astros.

The lefty slugger addresses a need for Boston that has lingered ever since Triston Casas ruptured the patellar tendon in his left knee. His injury prompted the team to approach Rafael Devers about a move to first base, and we know how that played out.

Passan reported Lowe will earn a prorated minimum salary with the Red Sox, so the financial outlay is negligible. They also have plenty of depth across the lineup if his production doesn't get a bounce at Fenway Park. Boston ranks sixth in wOBA (.326).

If nothing else, Lowe is an upgrade even in his current version against right-handed pitching over Abraham Toro. Toro has a .678 OPS in 202 plate appearances against righties compared to a .732 OPS in 337 plate appearances for the team's newest acquisition.

With the trade deadline having passed, Lowe is a low-cost stopgap who can fill in at first before the Red Sox reassess the situation in the offseason.