Rangers continue bullpen makeover, sending Lowe to Nats for lefty Garcia
Kennedi Landry
@kennlandryARLINGTON -- The Rangers are continuing to build out their bullpen for 2025, but they had to part with a key player in order to do so. On Sunday afternoon, the club announced it acquired left-handed pitcher Robert Garcia from the Nationals in exchange for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe.
It felt like a foregone conclusion that Lowe would be on the move since the Rangers traded for Jake Burger during the Winter Meetings, but on Sunday afternoon a deal finally came through.
TRADE DETAILS
Nationals get: 1B Nathaniel Lowe
Rangers get: LHP Robert Garcia
Garcia is the third bullpen arm the Rangers have added this winter, joining free-agent acquisitions Jacob Webb and Hoby Milner. In 2024, Garcia posted a 4.22 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over a career-high 72 relief appearances for the Nationals. He was tied for the fifth-most appearances of all MLB left-handed pitchers in 2024. Garcia¡¯s xERA, according to Statcast, was much lower than his actual ERA at 2.53.
He ranked among Nats relievers in strikeouts per nine (1st, 11.31), strikeouts (2nd, 75) and innings (4th, 59 2/3). His 11.31 strikeouts per nine figure was the second-highest by a qualified left-handed reliever over a single season in Nationals history, trailing only Sean Doolittle¡¯s 2018 (12.00 SO/9).
Garcia has spent the last two seasons in the big leagues with the Nationals and Marlins, with 96 of his 97 career MLB appearances coming with Washington. He was originally selected by the Royals in the 15th round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of the University of California, Davis.
The Rangers still need high-leverage options in the bullpen.
Lowe -- who has been with the Rangers since the 2021 season -- won a Silver Slugger in ¡®22 and a Gold Glove in ¡®23. He was an important part of the core that led the club to its first World Series championship in franchise history.
That said, Lowe lacked power in 2024, slashing .265/.361/.401 while posting the lowest OPS of his entire Texas tenure. He was projected to make $9.9 million in arbitration this season, according to Cot¡¯s Contracts. The Rangers will likely reallocate that money to continue building out the bullpen and adding another lefty bat to fill the Lowe-shaped void in the lineup.
Burger figures to get most of the reps at first base, though Josh Smith, Justin Foscue and Ezequiel Duran are all bench bats capable of playing first base if needed based on matchups.