GOODYEAR, Ariz. — There are hard sells, and then there’s what Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona gave first baseman Nathaniel Lowe.

“I think the quote was, ‘I don’t want to oversell it,’” Lowe said on Saturday of his conversation with Francona before signing a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training.

“I appreciate the honesty,” Lowe said. “That’s kind of what you look for when you look for a job and somewhere to be. For somebody to come out and shoot you straight — it’s all you can ask for.”

Francona, though, did tell Lowe that he would be treated like a big leaguer while he was in camp. On his first day, Lowe was shown that Francona’s pledge wasn’t just talk. The first baseman was not only given the jersey No. 31, but he was also moved into a locker on the side of the spring locker room where the big leaguers are stationed.

“I told him I’ll probably undersell it, because I don’t feel comfortable bulls—ting someone to get them in there, and then a month later, it’s not what I said,” Francona said.

That honesty was appreciated by Lowe, who won a World Series with the Texas Rangers in 2023. Lowe said he hasn’t had much experience with Francona, but certainly knows of the manager’s reputation and accomplishments.

“It’s a similar situation to (former Rangers manager Bruce Bochy), coming out of retirement and get brought to a winning club,” Lowe said. “I don’t think that (Francona) would’ve gotten back into the skipper’s chair if he weren’t looking to win.”

Lowe also said last October he was rooting for the Reds in the National League Wild Card Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“It’s nice to see an organization get good players out there and start winning again,” he said. “I know there’s a lot of talent in this clubhouse, and it’s a good opportunity to play winning baseball.”

Lowe’s deal will pay him $1.75 million if he makes the team, with a chance to get to $2 million if he makes a minimum number of plate appearances.

Even though Lowe had the worst statistical year of his seven-season career in 2025, it’s surprising that MLB franchises have only offered him minor-league deals after Lowe finished 2025 with the Boston Red Sox. Winner of a Silver Slugger at first base in 2022 and a Gold Glove the next year, Lowe was traded from the Rangers to the Washington Nationals before last season.

In Washington last year, Lowe hit just .216/.292/.373 with 16 home runs in 119 games before he was designated for assignment. The Red Sox signed him after he cleared waivers, and he was much better with Boston, hitting .280/.370/.420 with a pair of home runs in 34 games. The Red Sox non-tendered him after the season.

Lowe, 30, said the lack of big-league offers wasn’t too surprising when he looked around the league and saw several other players in the same situation.

“There’s a lot of players out there that can help ball clubs win games, and they just haven’t gotten jobs,” he said. “People are looking into the future. It’s not really a secret, but I’m happy to have a uniform now.”

At first glance, Lowe doesn’t appear to be an obvious fit for a Reds team that already has first basemen in rookie Sal Stewart, 2025 Gold Glove finalist Spencer Steer and last year’s Opening Day starter, Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Eugenio Suárez, who will serve mostly as a DH, could also fit into the mix at first.

Lowe, however, does one thing none of those four players do — bat left-handed. As of the day position players officially reported to camp, the Reds’ roster has just five left-handed hitters on the 40-man roster and only one left-handed hitter in its everyday lineup (center fielder TJ Friedl) to go along with the switch-hitting Elly De La Cruz.

Outfielders JJ Bleday, Will Benson and Héctor Rodríguez all bat exclusively left-handed, as does infielder/outfielder Tyler Callihan.

The difference between those players and Lowe is his track record. The 30-year-old Lowe has a career 116 OPS+ over seven big-league seasons.

“I think it’s too early to start thinking about how guys fit,” Francona said. “It never fails — if one guy goes down, it changes so much. Let them get ready and see how they play and we’ll put it together the best way we think it works.”

All Lowe knows is that he spent the offseason with his wife and son, who was born in August, and now he’s with the Reds, ready to earn a spot on the team.

“I’ve just got to come in and compete,” he said. “There’s an opportunity to get this team better, so I’m on the outside looking in from a roster standpoint right now, but there’s a chance to come in and compete.”