The Texas Rangers traded first baseman Nathaniel Lowe to the Washington Nationals for left-handed reliever Robert Garcia on Sunday, according to a league source. The trade was first reported by ESPN.
Lowe, 29, hit 78 home runs in four seasons for Texas after starting his career with the Tampa Bay Rays. He hit 16 homers in 2024 while hitting. 265/.361/.401. Lowe won a Silver Slugger award in 2022 when he hit a career-high 27 home runs while batting .302, and a Gold Glove in 2023. He’s known as a solid defender with some power, but his main skill is his ability to get on base — has a .356 on-base percentage and 120 OPS+ for his career. He’s projected to make $10.7 million in arbitration, per MLB Trade Rumors.
Source confirms: Nationals acquiring 1B Nathaniel Lowe from Rangers for left-handed reliever Robert Garcia. First: @JeffPassan
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 22, 2024
Joey Gallo was part of the Nationals’ first-base group last season, but Washington bought out Gallo’s $8 million option in November for $2.5 million.
Garcia, 28, appeared in 72 games for the Nationals in 2024, striking out 72 batters over 59 2/3 innings with a 4.22 ERA. Though his ERA doesn’t jump off the page, his underlying metrics indicate that he suffered from some bad luck last season. His BABIP was .329 and his expected ERA was in the 97th percentile, according to Baseball Savant. He isn’t eligible for arbitration until after the 2026 season.
(Photo: Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)
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