First Baseman Formerly Linked To Red Sox Placed On Waivers

First base is a weak spot in the Boston Red Sox lineup. Ever since Triston Casas went down with a knee injury, Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro have handled the bulk of the innings at first.

As a whole, Red Sox first basemen rank 24th in the league in wRC+. That ranking is heavily propped up by Gonzalez’s performance against left-handed pitching, though.

The Red Sox were reportedly looking for first base help at the trade deadline, but ultimately failed to make a move. One player they were linked to was Washington Nationals first baseman Nathaniel Lowe.

On Thursday, Lowe was designated for assignment by Washington, exposing him to waivers. If the Red Sox were still interested in the veteran, now would be the time to acquire him.

Obviously, Lowe hasn’t had a great season. If he were, he wouldn’t have been DFA’d. On the season, he’s hitting .216 with 16 home runs. His -4 outs above average also ranks in the 12th percentile.

While he hasn’t performed well as a whole, he has hit right-handed pitching. His 104 wRC+ against righties is much higher than Toro’s mark of 84. 14 of Lowe’s 16 home runs have come against righties as well.

While defense is a concern, Toro hasn’t played stellar defense at first base either. Lowe is also a former Gold Glove winner and ranked in the 91st percentile for OAA just last season. He’s not as versatile as Toro, but he does provide more experience at the position.

It’s not every day that a former All-Star becomes available after the trade deadline, so the Red Sox might have competition on waivers. The New York Yankees haven’t gotten much production out of first base, and Paul Goldschmidt might need a stint on the injured list. Lowe previously spent time with the Texas Rangers, and they could also use help at first base. Both the Rangers and Yankees would have priority over the Red Sox in the waiver order.

While the Red Sox not trading for Lowe at the deadline might be a sign of their confidence in their current platoon, Toro has been cold at the plate recently, and a change of pace might be in the cards.