As the Boston Red Sox continue their push toward postseason baseball, their ongoing struggles at first base have become impossible to ignore.
A potential solution emerged on the waiver wire this week: former Washington Nationals first baseman Nathaniel Lowe.
The timing couldn’t be more relevant, as Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam spent significant time on their latest Fenway Rundown podcast discussing the dire state of the team’s first base production, particularly from Abraham Toro.
“Abraham Toro is playing too much,” Cotillo said. “In the last 49 games in 184 plate appearances. He’s hitting .200 with a .572 OPS, three homers, six doubles. Yeah, it’s just — it’s time there.”
McAdam added that Toro’s defensive metrics are equally concerning, “I was stunned to find that Abraham Toro is a minus-3 defensive run saved at first base. I was expecting that number to be closer to double figures. He’s (a) good guy, contributed early, a nice surprise, but he’s been awful defensively at first base.”
Enter Lowe, who was designated for assignment by the Nationals on Thursday.
Cotillo noted the potential fit: “And today, a new entry in Nathaniel Lowe, a guy that (McAdam) wrote the Red Sox had poked around on when they were looking in the wake of Triston Casas’ injury. This is a guy who has not had a good year with Washington. He’s getting paid about $10 million.”
McAdam expressed skepticism about claiming Lowe directly off waivers, “I don’t see them taking a $3 million flyer here, which would be about what it is. You’re slightly less than a third of the season left on a $10 million deal. It’d be around $3 million. That’s a lot for a guy who’s hitting about .215 and just got released essentially by a last place club.”
However, if Lowe clears waivers and becomes a free agent able to sign for the league minimum, the equation changes dramatically.
“But if he clears and it’s just a matter of a pro-rated $770,000, sure, what’s to lose?” McAdam said.
The timing of this opportunity aligns perfectly with Boston’s current position in the playoff race. As a team fighting for a Wild Card spot and potentially within striking distance of a division title, the Red Sox must maximize every roster spot for the stretch run.
Lowe, despite his struggles in Washington, has demonstrated success in previous seasons as a left-handed power bat who handles right-handed pitching well — exactly what Boston needs to complement Romy Gonzalez’s right-handed production at first base.
As the Red Sox head into a crucial homestand against the Marlins and Orioles, the first base position remains a glaring weakness.
Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from original content created by masslive.com.
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