In the last few seasons, the Washington Nationals have been sellers at the trade deadline by default. The goal of this season was to rise in the division standings. While the Nats' record hasn't improved, they've gotten steady play from a few players. One of those contributing pieces is Nathaniel Lowe, who was acquired in a trade with the Texas Rangers this past offseason. The Nats face a tough decision with 29-year-old Nathaniel Lowe at this year's trade deadline.
Lowe, in his seventh season in the majors, is having an unusual statistical year when compared to his career averages. Last season for the Rangers, Lowe slugged 16 home runs in 140 games. Lowe has hit 13 home runs in 84 games in '25, but is hitting just .232, the lowest of his career since the COVID-shortened 2020 season, according to baseball-reference.com. What Lowe is doing well is driving runners in; he's got 54 RBI so far this season. Lowe's OPS currently stands at .696, while his career average OPS is .779. There's a lot of optimism that the left-handed slugger is going to be more consistent. In past seasons, playoff contenders value left-handed power hitters at the trade deadline. Could the Nats look to move Lowe?
Lowe is under team control for the 2026 season, adding a layer to his trade value. In recent conversations about trade deadline speculation around players, it usually leads to a trade being favored. In this instance, I think twice about trading Nathaniel Lowe. The Nationals have had subpar play at the first base position since the 2019 season. While Lowe is no superstar, he gets the job done at first base and provides a veteran presence in the Nats' clubhouse.
At this point in the Nationals' rebuild, I believe there is more value in keeping Lowe and pursuing free agency aggressively than in unloading the veterans for prospects. The Nats are in year five of the rebuild. It may be time to revise the front office strategies and establish consistency in the clubhouse. But if the right trade offer were presented to GM Mike Rizzo, I'd be shocked if we didn't see a trade happen. More often than not, the veteran player has been sent packing from D.C.
Where do you stand in the conversation of Nathaniel Lowe being traded? Should the Nats look to move the left-handed hitter, or should he stay in D.C.? Let us know what you think!