Former Nationals Slugger 'Finalizing a Deal' With Red Sox
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The Washington Nationals surprised a lot of people when they designated Nathaniel Lowe for assignment and effectively cut ties with him going forward.
Rumored to be a potential trade chip sent out by the Nationals ahead of the deadline, when they opted to keep him, the thought process was that he was going to play out his final year of club control with the team next season in 2026.
But that turned out not to be the case, with Washington placing him on outright waivers following his DFA that allowed the slugger to sign with any team he chose for the remainder of the year, potentially giving him a chance to end up with a contender.
Nathaniel Lowe, Boston Red Sox Finalizing a Deal
That seems to be the case.
Jeff Passan of ESPN reported on Sunday night that Lowe and the Boston Red Sox were working on finalizing a deal that would bring him to the AL contenders as they make a push towards the postseason.
The Red Sox have long been rumored as a landing spot for Lowe, even ahead of the trade deadline where many analysts across baseball believed that the two sides would work out a deal that would send the 2023 World Series champion to Boston.
But patience ultimately worked out for the Red Sox, with them not even having to place a waiver claim to land him, let alone give up prospect capital to acquire him. Now, they will pay Lowe a prorated salary for the rest of the year, adding a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner at first base.
First baseman Nathaniel Lowe and the Boston Red Sox are finalizing a deal, sources tell ESPN. Lowe was DFA’d by Washington earlier this week and will head to Boston and join one of the best lineups in the league.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 18, 2025
Washington explained why they made the decision, stating they wanted to give the younger players more chances to play, which has resulted in five outfielders being carried on the MLB roster since Lowe's DFA was the corresponding move for Dylan Crews' activation off the injured list.
Still, the future of that position for the Nationals is in question, with Josh Bell and Paul DeJong now splitting reps there for the rest of the season; both veteran players who are impending free agents and likely won't be back in 2026.
Perhaps this opens the door for the promotion of Yohandy Morales at some point later this year, the team's 20th-ranked prospect who was a second-round pick in the 2023 draft. However, he hasn't been impressive with Triple-A Rochester this season, slashing .236/.324/.380 with eight homers and 32 RBI across 65 games.
How Lowe performs with the Red Sox will be something Nationals fans will likely be keeping a close eye. Because even though he had his struggles in Washington this year, the fact he had another season of club control remaining means there should be a better option waiting to replace him.
