The Washington Nationals traded away a few pitchers at the deadline, but they didn't do much with position players. Aside from Amed Rosario in advance of the deadline, the only hitter Washington traded away was Alex Call, a platoon outfielder.
Although there may have been a case to be made for trading Luis Garcia Jr, the same could be said for Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell. And the fact that both Lowe and Bell are still here seems almost inexcusable.
Think about it. We're talking about two veteran first basemen/designated hitters who clearly aren't pieces of Washington's long-term future.
There are two solid options in Triple-A, namely Andres Chaparro and Yohandy Morales who deserve to get a serious look in the near future. Chaparro is a clear power hitter who has hit 12 home runs in only 38 games for Rochester this year, and Morales, the team's second-round draft pick in 2023, is quickly growing into a similar threat.
Why wasn't the deck cleared to give one or both of Chaparro and Morales a taste of the big leagues for a couple months? When it comes to Lowe and Bell, there are different answers.
Bell's case is more black and white - although I admittedly question the validity of what we've heard. Considering he is on an expiring contract, he should have been traded to the highest bidder, even if that means it's a minimal trade return. However, trade discussions surrounding Bell reportedly never reached the point of teams making offers for him, even in spite of the fact that he had been hitting quite well for two months leading up to the deadline.
Nathaniel Lowe is a bit trickier, in part because he's under contract through the 2026 season. He's also been relatively productive in categories like home runs (15) and RBIs (64). On the flip side, he's not hitting for average, his on-base percentage is by far at an all-time low, he's striking out too frequently, and he's been a net negative defensively. He may be more passable with more lineup protection and with some ability to DH instead of playing in the field every day, but he's nonetheless been a disappointment for the Nationals in 2025. He'll likely be a non-tender candidate in arbitration this offseason. With that in mind, like Bell, he should've been traded to anyone who was willing to give back anything in return.
But above all else, the Nationals should have always planned to turn these roles in the lineup over to younger options after the trade deadline. Unless the Nationals beleive Nathaniel Lowe could bounce back, there's no real reason why he or Bell should be in the lineup every day anymore for Washington. Whether it's in favor of Chaparro, Morales or both, young hitters like this should be the priority in August and September, especially on a team that is nowhere near playoff contention.
Instead, we've gotten to watch Lowe and Bell go a combined 6-for-42 at the plate in their last seven games, with only one extra-base hit. That's not worthwhile, if you ask me.
Do you think it was a mistake to hold onto Lowe and Bell? Let me know your thoughts at @stephen_newman1 on X.