Red Sox Free Agent Nathaniel Lowe Finally Signs With New MLB Team

Wasn't maybe what Lowe had in mind, but it's something...

Sep 20, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (37) reacts after hitting an rbi sacrifice fly ball against the Tampa Bay Rays in the sixth inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Many of the stars of the 2023 Texas Rangers have had a tough fall from grace, and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe is no exception.

Lowe joined the Boston Red Sox as a free agent on a veteran-minimum contract last August, after he'd been released by the Washington Nationals in the middle of a career-worst season. He rebounded for a solid 34-game stretch with Boston, but that evidently wasn't enough to get him a guaranteed contract for the 2026 campaign.

On Friday, Lowe agreed to sign a minor-league deal with the Cincinnati Reds, per Mark Feinsand and Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. The former Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner will enter spring training a couple days after the rest of the position players and try to prove he still belongs in an everyday lineup.

Nathaniel Lowe joins incomplete Reds team

There's this to say about Lowe's minor-league deal: If he was going to take a non-guaranteed contract, which may well have been his only choice at this point, then he at least chose wisely.

The Reds, who went 83-79 last season and eked out a playoff spot thanks to a total collapse from the New York Mets, haven't had a reliable first baseman since retired great Joey Votto's injury issues started to crop up.

However, 2022 first-round pick Sal Stewart looked very promising as a rookie last season, and is currently projected to claim the starting first-base job by Fangraphs. Stewart played 11 games at first base and six at third down the stretch last year.

Lowe could also claim a spot as a bench/platoon bat, but he'd have to fend off the likes of Will Benson, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and fellow non-roster invite Michael Toglia in camp.

Lowe's base-level stats weren't just down last year; virtually all his under-the-hood metrics took a major dip as well, from bat speed to quality of contact to expected batting average.

Though he's only 30, this feels like something of a make-or-break year for Lowe, as his early successes in Texas don't carry much weight anymore.

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