Washington Nationals Bullpen Gets Weaker After Nathaniel Lowe Trade
The Washington Nationals have really started to pick up on things this offseason with the holidays right around the corner.
After a very quiet start to the offseason, the Nationals have been starting to make some significant moves of late to improve the team.
Coming into the offseason, there were a couple of clear needs for Washington. They needed to upgrade their starting rotation, add some arms to the bullpen, and make upgrades on the corners.
So far, the Nationals have made a couple of moves of late to address these needs, as they started by signing Michael Soroka to a prove-it deal in the starting rotation. While he might not be the only starter they add this offseason, he was an All-Star in 2019, and is hungry to prove himself after missing a lot of time with injuries.
While the deal for Soroka somewhat fills a need in the rotation, their recent trade to acquire Nathaniel Lowe from the Texas Rangers is a significant addition.
First base has been a massive issue for the organization for years, and coming into the offseason, upgrading it could arguably have been the top priority. Adding Lowe might not have been what many were expecting, but it certainly accomplishes upgrading the position.
Last season, Lowe totaled 16 home runs, 69 RBIs, a .265 batting average, and a .762 OPS. These numbers will certainly help improve a position that has been a mess for the last couple of years.
While adding the slugger to the lineup will certainly help, it did come at a significant cost, as Washington traded left-hander Robert Garcia.
Last season, Garcia played a big role in the Nationals’ bullpen, as he pitched in 72 games and logged 59.2 innings. With 75 strikeouts on the campaign, there is a lot to like about Garcia’s ability moving forward, as a southpaw with swing and miss stuff like that is rare.
However, in order to get something good, you have to give up something good. Due to the first baseman market becoming bare seemingly overnight, Washington was left with few options.
With Lowe being under team control for the next two years, he can grow with the young core of the Nationals without costing the franchise a ton of money.
Furthermore, now that they traded Garcia, it further weakens a bullpen that has already seen the loss of their All-Star closer this offseason. While bringing in Lowe was a good addition for the lineup, Washington now really needs to fix their bullpen with the loss of Garcia.
