NATHANIEL LOWE FOR ROBERT GARCIA
The Washington Nationals acquired first baseman Nathaniel Lowe from the Texas Rangers for pitcher Robert Garcia.
What does it give the Washington Nationals
In Lowe, the Nationals add a solid veteran first baseman. The 29-year-old spent the past four seasons in Texas, playing at least 140 games each season. His power dropped off some last year (16 HR), but he always has a good OBP and is a great defender. Lowe should be Washington's starting first baseman this season, and he comes with several years of team control. He will be an important addition as the Nats try to compete following their rebuild.
What does it give the Texas Rangers
The Rangers upgraded their offense this off-season, acquiring Jake Burger from the Marlins and signing designated hitter Joc Pederson. They will move on from Lowe after those additions, and this trade appears to be mostly about dumping his salary. But Texas did add Garcia, a left-handed reliever. He established himself in Washington's bullpen the past two seasons, posting a 4.03 ERA in 91.2 innings with 108 strikeouts. Garcia should be a useful addition in middle relief.
Fantasy impact
Lowe gets a nice boost from this trade. As a proven hitter on a younger Nationals team, he should hit in the middle of the order and get more RBI opportunities. If he can bounce back in the power category, that will make him even more appealing in fantasy leagues. As for Garcia, his value will remain limited to deeper formats, where his occasional holds and strikeout rate have some worth.
