Nationals land 1B Lowe in trade with Rangers

Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff WriterDec 22, 2024, 06:21 PM ET

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The Washington Nationals on Sunday acquired first baseman Nathaniel Lowe from the Texas Rangers in exchange for lefty reliever Robert Garcia.

Lowe, 29, is two years away from free agency and was widely believed to be expendable for a Rangers team that acquired power-hitting corner infielder Jake Burger from the Miami Marlins earlier this offseason.

Lowe has been highly productive on both sides of the field over the past four years, winning a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove, slashing .274/.359/.432, accumulating 78 home runs and 104 doubles, putting up 10.6 FanGraphs wins above replacement and serving as a central figure to the Rangers’ first world championship in 2023.

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In Washington, Lowe will join a young, ascending team that had a clear need at first base, eliminating a potential landing spot for high-priced free agent Pete Alonso.

Garcia, 28, was plucked off waivers from the Nationals in August 2023 and pitched in his first full season in the majors in 2024, posting a 4.22 ERA with 75 strikeouts and 16 walks in 59⅔ innings.

The Rangers clearly see upside. Garcia possesses a devastating fastball-slider-changeup trio that made him difficult to hit this past season. The .294 expected slugging percentage against him ranked within the top 5% of the sport.

In Texas, Garcia will join a back end of the bullpen headlined by Jacob Webb, Hoby Milner, Daniel Robert and, when he returns from shoulder surgery, Josh Sborz.

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