With a new first baseman in tow, the Boston Red Sox are geared up for a crucial stretch run.
On Sunday night, the Red Sox agreed to a major league contract with first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, according to a report from MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. Lowe, a 2023 World Series champion with the Texas Rangers, was released on Saturday by the Washington Nationals.
It’s quite rare that players like Lowe are available, though. This is a 30-year-old who won a Silver Slugger Award three years ago, a Gold Glove two years ago, and had a four-year stretch in which his OPS+ never dipped below 112. What can we expect from him with the Red Sox?
Lowe was released following a .216/.292/.373 slash line in Washington, good for only an 88 OPS+. If the Nationals were in contention for a playoff spot, they probably would have kept him based on track record, but because they’re in last place, they wanted to free up his at-bats for some of the younger players on the team.
Plus, Lowe was somewhat expensive. He made $10.3 million via arbitration, and he’ll be arb-eligible again this winter. So in theory, if the Red Sox want him back in 2026 after seeing him perform for the next month and a half, he’s all theirs.
According to Cotillo, however, that should not be expected.
“The Sox are intrigued by the fact they could catch ‘lightning in a bottle’ at a low cost over the final six weeks of the season with Lowe if a change of scenery and some tweaks lead to increased output,” wrote Cotillo. “He’s also under team control for next year, though it’s unlikely the Red Sox would be willing to give him a raise that would guarantee more than his $10.3 million 2025 salary next year.”
The Red Sox still have Triston Casas hoping to return from his devastating knee injury next year, and Kristian Campbell, who got an eight-year extension in April, has been playing mostly first base since his demotion to Triple-A. Boston also introduced top prospect Jhostynxon Garcia to the position for the first time in a game on Sunday.
So there are certainly other options for 2026, and Lowe would likely be a good chunk more expensive than any of them. This is probably his only ride in Boston, but if he truly catches fire, perhaps he can extend his stay.
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