GOODYEAR, Arizona – Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said it’s too early to start projecting a roster fit for Nathaniel Lowe, but the addition to spring training camp of the lefty-hitting first baseman adds real depth and big-league insurance for the lineup for the playoff-minded Reds.
The signing of Lowe, 30, to a minor-league/non-roster deal was made official over the weekend, just ahead of the first full-squad workouts.
“He’s a good bat. He’s had some down times last year, but he’s not far removed from being an All-Star,” Francona said. “And god dang, man, you get (him as) a non-roster, it’s hard not to let him come. It just makes sense.”
Lowe won a Silver Slugger award in 2022 for the Texas Rangers and a Gold Glove in 2023 during the Rangers’ World Series championship season – when he hit three home runs during the postseason run.
He said the chance to win with the Reds was appealing, and even said he rooted for the Reds against the Dodgers in the first round of the playoffs last year.
“I’ve just got to come in and compete,” said Lowe, whose contract calls for a $1.75 million base salary if he makes the big league club, with another possible $250,000 in performance-based bonuses.
“Obviously, I’m on the outside looking in from a roster standpoint now, but there’s a chance to come in and compete,” he said.
Lowe could push rookie first baseman Sal Stewart in camp and provides insurance for both Stewart and designated hitter/first baseman Eugenio Suárez.
“I just explained to him, ‘You’ll be treated like the veteran you deserve,’ “ Francona said of what he told Lowe. “ ‘We can’t guarantee anything.’ I even told him, ‘I’ll probably undersell it,’ because I don’t feel comfortable (BS’ing) somebody to get them in here and then a month later, that’s not what I said.”
Said Lowe: “I appreciate the honesty. For somebody to come out and shoot you straight is all you can really ask for.”
Lowe, who hit 18 home runs (with 84 RBIs) even in a down 2025 season for the Nationals and Red Sox, brings the on-paper advantage of a left-handed bat to the mix for a team that figures to start a mostly right-handed lineup on most days.
His offensive numbers ticked up during the stretch drive with the Red Sox, helping earn Boston a wild-card matchup against the Yankees – an uptick he attributed to the rush of a playoff chase.
“That’s what you play for,” he said.
Will the lefty slug give him an edge in camp? Will the quality of his glove at first?
“It’s too early to start to think about how guys fit,” Francona said. “Because it never fails, man. If one guy goes down, it changes so much. So just let them get ready and see how they play, and then we’ll put it together the best way we think works.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How does newly signed Nathaniel Lowe fit Cincinnati Reds roster plans?
Reporting by Gordon Wittenmyer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
