Apr 20, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Washington Nationals first base Nathaniel Lowe (33) during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Nationals Officially Part Ways With Nathaniel Lowe

Originally posted on Washington Nationals on SI
By Brad Wakai | Last updated Aug 16, 2025 4:21 PM ET

The Washington Nationals made a shocking decision on Aug. 14.

With Dylan Crews set to be activated off the injured list, the organization decided to designate first baseman Nathaniel Lowe for assignment, effectively ending his tenure with the franchise before his first season was up, despite the fact he had another year of club control remaining.

That raised a lot of eyebrows at the time since the Nationals opted to keep five outfielders on their Major League roster. Although, some of that was cleared up a bit when it was revealed that James Wood would get the majority of his work at designated hitter for the remainder of the campaign.

Still, the decision to DFA Lowe after trading for him this past offseason was one that was surprising to say the least. And now, Washington has made it official that the two sides will part ways going forward.

Nationals Request Unconditional Release Waivers on Lowe

The Nationals have requested unconditional release waivers on Nathaniel Lowe.
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) August 16, 2025

By doing so, they have officially terminated his contract. This now gives Lowe the freedom to sign with any other team across the league for the remainder of the season, potentially giving him the chance to join a contender and compete in the playoffs.

The Nationals said that part of their reason for the DFA of Lowe was to see the younger players get more time on the field, which will now happen with Josh Bell moving to first base and Wood taking over at DH.

In the outfield, it will be a rotating cast between Crews, Jacob Young, Daylen Lile and Robert Hassell III, all intriguing young players with the trio of Crews, Lile and Hassell being former top prospects.

Getting a better look at them to see who should be regularly paired with Wood going forward isn't the worst idea for the remainder of the season, but Washington also doesn't have a clear answer at first base heading into 2026, either.

Where Could Lowe End Up?

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Lowe has long been linked to the Boston Red Sox, with a team insider stating there could be some level of interest for the AL contenders to bring in the slugger to solve some of their issues at first base for the remainder of the season.

Now that Lowe is being released instead of a waiver claim needing to be processed, that could make the Red Sox even more interested in signing him for the rest of 2025 as they chase a spot in the playoffs.

The market for the 30-year-old likely won't be too high based on the issues he's had this season by putting up the worst performance of his career. But for a contender who needs help at the position and could use some pop in their lineup, he isn't a bad option to sign.