Nathaniel Lowe Has Been a Huge Pickup for the Red Sox

Succumbing to mob mentality is often dangerous. The Salem Witch Trials and Manson Family Cult are two instances of people following groupthink at the expense of their own morals or judgment, resulting in devastating consequences. 

Then, there exists a non-harmful version of mob mentality.

This occurs when an idea spreads amongst a group of people derived from numerical or qualitative observations, helping to inform collective opinion. Despite opinions being driven by peers with like mindsets, in this case, the mob’s notions are true.

One of the most prevalent thoughts circulating the Boston Red Sox fan base falls under the latter case: chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was an epic failure at the 2025 trade deadline. 

As he approached the July 31 deadline, Breslow eyed a slugging first baseman to better fill a spot at which players like Romy Gonzalez, Abraham Toro (now DFA’d), and rookie Jhostynxon Garcia had rotated, as well as an additional starting pitcher. Coming off the team’s 10-game winning streak leading up to the All-Star break, the Sox’s postseason potential was evident. With help in these areas, the team would come as close to being a sure bet for the postseason as possible. 

Unfortunately, Breslow did not secure either a slugging first baseman nor a starting ace. 

The closest he came to such success was securing Dustin May from the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose purpose does not seem to be much more than allowing AL Cy Young contender Garrett Crochet his full five days of rest between starts. The first base situation remained unchanged.

With no consistent first baseman or dominating pitcher – and eyes on the postseason – all Breslow could hope for was a miracle.

A Miraculous Deadline Redemption

Al Michaels may have been onto something at the 1980 Winter Olympics when he asserted his belief in miracles.

When the first baseman and left-handed bat Nathaniel Lowe was designated for assignment by the Washington Nationals, Breslow was handed a trade deadline mulligan.

It all started with an underperforming team. 

The Nationals have undergone a rough 2025. With the second-worst record in the National League, only above the Colorado Rockies, their playoff hopes were virtually nonexistent. Interim manager Miguel Cairo, who assumed the position after manager Dave Martinez and veteran general manager Mike Rizzo were simultaneously fired in early July, said that the team wanted to allocate more playing time to their younger players (per MLB.com).

Thus, Lowe, 30, was DFA’d upon the return of outfielder Dylan Crews from a 60-day IL stint. In his time with the Nats, Lowe slashed .216/.292/.373 for a .665 OPS. Not only was his OPS 12 percent worse than league average, but he also recorded a disappointing bWAR (-0.3) and Wins Above Average (-1.9). 

Given these numbers, it was instinctive to classify Lowe’s pickup as another one of Breslow’s underwhelming moves for an underperforming player. That was not a crazy assumption, given that Jordan Hicks, Dustin May, and the recently DFA’d Walker Buehler were all sub-optimal selections this season.

However, a look at Lowe’s career tells an unfamiliar story for Red Sox fans.

Before joining the Nationals for 2025, Lowe resided with the Texas Rangers. Over the course of his four-year career in Arlington, he slashed .274/.359/.432 for a .791 OPS, 22 percent better than league average. 

He recorded an 11.2 bWAR, 110 Runs Above Average, and 2.8 Wins Above Average (per Baseball Reference). 

When 2025 came along, he headed to the capital city to play for an organization on the verge of imploding, an environment inconducive to achieving on-field success – even for a player of Lowe’s caliber. 

That all changed in Boston. Since signing with the Red Sox for the league minimum and arriving at Fenway, Lowe has slashed .259/.333/.448 for a .782 OPS, 14 percent above league average.

His nine runs in 19 games and 111 rBat+ have helped Lowe redeem himself, proving he is still an excellent hitter despite his struggles in a Nationals uniform.

Lowe Fits Like A (Gold) Glove

Taking after Jarren Duran, Lowe hits when it counts. 

With runners on base, Lowe has slashed .292/.400/.542 (.942 OPS) for the Red Sox. He was pretty good with runners on for the Nationals too, with a .273/.351/.460 line and an .811 OPS. Like the World Series champion he is, Lowe has been producing when it counts.

And just as the Red Sox desperately needed, Lowe has been doing it all while playing first base. 

They finally have an everyday first baseman again. That in and of itself is an improvement, given their lineup inconsistencies. Since arriving, he has managed no fielding errors and finished six double plays. 

The winner of the 2023 AL Gold Glove Award, Lowe solidifies an agile corner infield, as he stands opposite Alex Bregman, who won his Gold Glove Award the following year. Lowe also has 18 games of postseason existence under his belt. He is a veteran on a young squad with little October baseball experience. 

Lowe fits like a glove. Despite Breslow’s widely agreed-upon deadline failures, Lowe’s release gave Breslow a golden opportunity to fill the first base void, and he seized it. Not only was it a second chance at the trade deadline, but it was a second chance for the Red Sox (and Lowe) to excel in 2025.