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The Cincinnati Reds are set to sign free agent Nathaniel Lowe. Mark Feinsand and Mark Sheldon of MLB.com are reporting that the deal is a minor league one but one that does include an invitation to big league spring training.
The 30-year-old first baseman has been in the big leagues in parts of the last seven years. He played in 71 games between the 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays before he was traded to the Texas Rangers. Once there he became a starter and has played nearly every day since the start of the 2021 season, averaging 154 games each season.
In 2025 he played in 119 games with the Washington Nationals and hit just .216/.292/.373 before he was released in mid-August. He almost immediately signed with Boston and in 34 games he hit .280/.370/.420 with the Red Sox. Between the two teams he hit 18 home runs. Until 2025 he had been an above-average hitter in every season he had played with his 50 games in 2019 being the worst of the bunch in terms of OPS+ when he put up a mark of 107 (which means he was 7% better than the league average after adjusting for park factors). His best season came back in 2022 with Texas when he hit .302/.358/.492 and had a career high 27 home runs. He hasn’t topped 18 in any other season (which he’s done twice).
If everyone remains healthy it’s tough to see exactly where Nathaniel Lowe would fit in. He’s only played 26 innings in the big leagues at a position that isn’t first base, and the last time that happened was back in 2021 when he played one inning at third.
He’s pretty much been a first baseman or designated hitter for his entire career. And those are spots where the Reds have plenty of options. When the club signed Eugenio Suarez they noted that he would spend most of his time as the designated hitter. And at first base the team has options with both Spencer Steer and Sal Stewart. While Steer can move around and play multiple spots on the field – and is expected to – Stewart is the team’s top prospect and was a key cog to their lineup over the final five weeks of the year in 2025.
Lowe is a left-handed hitter, which none of those three guys are, but given his defensive range being next to zero, it’s just a tough fit on a roster with those guys also around. But he could be very good depth in chase of an injury during the spring. And depending on exactly how his contract is structured and if he has opt-outs built in if he’s not added to the roster, with a good spring he could also be a somewhat valuable trade chip.
You can see the career stats for Nathaniel Lowe here.
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