Even though they have lost more than 90 games four years in a row, the Washington Nationals have started to assemble a really talented young team with some serious upside.
Now the time has come for them to start adding some complementary veteran pieces around that young core, and they are reportedly adding a significant one on Sunday afternoon by landing first baseman Nathaniel Lowe from the Texas Rangers.
In exchange for Lowe, the Nationals are sending left-handed relief pitcher Robert Garcia to the Rangers.
Lowe hit .265 with 16 home runs and 69 RBI a year ago for the Rangers.
While he is not a superstar or the type of player that can single-handedly change the course of a franchise, he has been a consistently above average hitter in the Major Leagues for his entire career and never finished a season with an OPS+ below 100 (100 being a league-average hitter). He has been above 112 in each of the past four seasons.
He brings a veteran approach to the plate that will see him draw a lot of walks and get on base a lot. Two things the Nationals desperately need.
He also won a Gold Glove in 2023 and a Silver Slugger award in 2022.
Between shortstop CJ Abrams, outfielders James Wood and Dylan Crews, catcher Keibert Ruiz, starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft there is an easily identifiable young core in place. Adding a veteran bat with a track record of success only adds to that.
Even more important for the Nationals is that Lowe is still under team control for another two full seasons, while all they had to give up was a relief pitching. It is a win-win deal for an improving Nationals team.