On Saturday, before the Washington Nationals finalized an awesome, 2-0 victory over their NL East rival Philadelphia Phillies, the team finalized the tenure of their prized offseason acquisition. While the story of the day was undoubtedly Cade Cavalli, who was lights-out over 7 scoreless innings against a high-powered Phillies lineup, it was the move to release that former player which finally set in.
Nathaniel Lowe, who had been the team's first baseman for the vast majority of the season, is now officially a free agent who is able to sign with any other club. The 2025 season had become a lost year for Lowe, as he struggled immensely to be able to be the guy that former GM Mike Rizzo wanted him to be, which was a power bat capable of hitting 30 or more homers.
Lowe was never that guy for the Nationals, and with unconfirmed rumors popping up around social media that he had disagreements with the organization regarding his role as a veteran presence, the team seemingly made the right call by letting him go. His time on the open market should not last too long, as it has already been rumored that a few contending teams, most notably the Boston Red Sox, who once upon a time were a possible trade partner for him, will now have the opportunity to pick him up without having to give up any legitimate assets.
I do hope for the best for Lowe as he embarks on his next endeavor, but he will have some work to do in order to bump up his numbers from where they stand currently. Despite already posting 16 homers and 68 RBIs, which are pretty close to being on par with his career averages, his .216/.292/.373 slash line has left a ton to be desired, with his average and on-base numbers being well below his career marks.
The .292 OBP would be by far the lowest of his career, and he is on pace to set a new career-high in strikeouts as well. Arguably the most concerning part of his decline this season is his defense, which was once Gold Glove caliber at first base, yet has been abysmal this year. He has been worth -5 OAA, -0.4 bWAR, and also leads the league in errors, which is inexcusable for a first baseman of his caliber in the field. The bottom line is, the Nathaniel Lowe era in Washington is now officially over, and hopefully the team is able to adequately fill the position this offseason for the first time in what feels like forever.
Where do you think Nathaniel Lowe ends up signing? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.