Does Josh Naylor Trade Boost Value of Nationals First Baseman Nathaniel Lowe?

The Washington Nationals could deal their first baseman, Nathaniel Lowe, at the trade deadline and his value may have just gone up.

Jul 9, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (33) celebrates with designated hitter Josh Bell (19) after hitting a three run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals have several players who could be dealt by the July 31 MLB trade deadline, including first baseman Nathaniel Lowe.

Lowe isn’t one of the biggest names on the market. The Nationals don’t want to disturb their young core of players. But it’s not clear if Lowe is part of the core.

Entering Friday’s action the 30-year-old is slashing .226/.294/.392 with 15 home runs and 62 RBI.

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Did a trade on Thursday by the Seattle Mariners boost Lowe’s potential trade value? It probably did for two reasons.

What the Mariners Did

The Seattle Mariners traded for Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor on Thursday evening, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal on X (formerly Twitter). The cost? Two Top 30 pitching prospects, Ashton Izzi and Brandyn Garcia.

The 28-year-old left-handed hitter was the Miami Marlins’ first-round pick in 2015 out of Canada.

He’s put together a solid season, with a slash of .226/.294/.392 with 15 home runs and 62 RBI. He also has 19 doubles and a triple. He’s hit at least 17 home runs in each of his previous three seasons, including a high of 31 last year with the Cleveland Guardians.

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Naylor is playing on a one-year deal worth $10.9 million. He becomes a free agent after the season.

What Lowe Represents to Trade Partners

A slugging first baseman with a good track record. He’s been an MLB regular since 2021 when he joined the Texas Rangers. The Rangers dealt him in the offseason to the Nats for pitcher Robert Garcia.

His 162-game averages are solid — a .265/.348/.428 slash with 21 home runs and 80 RBI. He hit a career-high 27 in 2022 when he batted a career-best .302. But he’s consistently hit at least 16 home runs each of the previous four seasons and he’s pacing toward more than 20 this year.

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For a team hungry for first base power like the Mariners were, Lowe represents steady production, even if his slash is down from years past.

Why Lowe’s Value Went Up

He has something Naylor didn’t have — a year of team control. Lowe went to arbitration with the Nats and lost his case, ending up with a $10.3 million deal.

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Whether the Nationals keep him or trade him, Lowe has one more year before he can become a free agent in 2027.

His value went up for two reasons. First, the acquiring team will appreciate the additional year of control. Second, with Naylor off the market, teams will now have to look to an option like Lowe — and that allows Washington to boost the price.

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