First baseman Nathaniel Lowe joins Red Sox as Nationals cover bulk of his salary

Former Washington Nationals first baseman Nathaniel Lowe agreed to a deal with the Boston Red Sox late on Sunday night and signed the one-year contract on Monday.

The Nationals designated the former Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner for assignment last week before requesting unconditional release waivers on Saturday.

The Red Sox will be responsible for about $200,000 of Lowe’s salary this year, the prorated amount for the final six weeks of the regular season. The Nationals will pick up the bill for the remaining $10.1 million owed to the 30-year-old.

Lowe joins a strong lineup in Boston that is pushing for a postseason berth. The Red Sox trail the Toronto Blue Jays by five games in the AL East but hold the top spot in the wild card race.

Lowe, who won the 2023 World Series with the Texas Rangers, was the Nationals’ biggest offseason acquisition. Washington sent reliever Robert Garcia to Texas in the trade.

The Mississippi State product was the highest-paid player on this season’s roster for the Nationals. He was slated to hit arbitration again this offseason with the potential to become a free agent before the 2027 campaign.

Lowe never reached his potential in Washington. He maintained a career-worst .216 batting average with 16 home runs and 68 RBIs in 119 appearances. His underwhelming offensive output — by far the worst of his seven-year career — culminated in an abysmal -0.7 wins above replacement. According to FanGraphs, Lowe ranked 160th among 161 qualified hitters in the advanced stat.

Lowe is a .263 career hitter with 105 homers, 397 RBIs and 384 runs scored in seven seasons with the Rays, Rangers and Nationals. He won a Gold Glove while helping Texas win the 2023 World Series before being traded to Washington after the 2024 season.

This article is based in part on wire service reports.