In the least surprising move of all time, the Boston Red Sox added veteran first baseman Nathaniel Lowe on Sunday night after he was DFA'd by the Washington Nationals. Lowe, 30, has a .216 average and .665 OPS with 16 home runs and 68 RBI in 440 at-bats so far this season.
It's a solid signing for the Red Sox, who have been searching in vain for a first baseman ever since Triston Casas' broken leg early in the campaign. Abraham Toro and Romy González have both spent time at first base in the interim, but Lowe figures to become an everyday starter for the Red Sox with October in their sights.
Lowe isn't without his flaws. He strikes out a lot and he's enjoying by far his worst season, both offensively and defensively. But he's also a recent Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner and a 2023 World Series champ with the Texas Rangers.
He's a major upgrade over Toro, but the Red Sox need to keep tweaking. Here are a few more moves to solidify Boston as an AL contender.
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3. Red Sox need to call up RHP Tyler Uberstine
With all due respect to Isaiah Campbell, he is not an MLB reliever (yet). At 28, the sinkerballer has struggled to earn his keep in limited big-league exposure. He gave up three runs in two-thirds of an inning in Saturday's win over the Miami Marlins, which forced Boston to uncork Aroldis Chapman after taking a five-run lead into the final frame. Chapman was thus unavailable for Sunday's game, in which Greg Weissert blew the save.
The Red Sox failed to shore up the bullpen in a meaningful way at the trade deadline. Now Breslow must rely on internal promotions, with 26-year-old righty Tyler Uberstine looking like the best option. He began last season in High-A and has already climbed the organizational ranks to Worcester, where he has a 3.50 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 71 strikeouts in 61.2 innings.
There are more touted prospects in the Red Sox farm system, such as Payton Tolle or David Sandlin, but Uberstine looks the most polished. For a team seeking postseason-ready bullets in the bullpen, Uberstine looks like the best candidate for an MLB call-up.
2. Red Sox need to call up IF Kristian Campbell
Kristian Campbell began the season as a top-10 prospect in all of baseball. He was the first of Boston's so-called 'Big Three,' along with Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer, to crack the MLB roster. He was also the first demoted back to Triple-A after a long early-season slump.
Campbell has made the most of his Triple-A reps, however, slashing .277/.401/.440 with six home runs and 26 RBI in 159 at-bats. He has also taken to learning first base. While the Red Sox don't need first base help as badly after the Lowe signing, there's a world in which Campbell is a better option — both for his defensive range and for his upside at the plate.
With an 86 wRC+, Lowe has been a below-average hitter this season. His track record is solid, and thus Boston will hope for Lowe to change into a higher gear now that he's back in a winning situation. But let's not act like Lowe will unlock Boston's lineup in a profound way. Campbell still needs to prove his mettle against MLB pitching, but the upside is considerable. Plus, with Mayer done for the season, there are plenty of infield (and even outfield) reps for Campbell to absorb down the stretch.
1. Red Sox need to target RHP Kenley Jansen on waivers
Lowe won't be the last prominent name DFA'd in the coming months. The Los Angeles Angels are dead in the water, which puts 37-year-old Kenley Jansen squarely on the radar for bullpen-needy contenders. Even if Boston calls up Uberstine and he clicks immediately, it wouldn't be hard to create room for Jansen.
Jansen spent the last two years in Boston before signing a one-year contract with the Angels. He was an All-Star in 2023. While it's fair to quibble with the idea of pairing Jansen and Aroldis Chapman, two 37-year-olds, as the bullpen's primary anchor points in October, the production speaks for itself. Chapman has arguably been the best closer in MLB this season. Jansen isn't quite on that level, but he has a 2.74 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with 45 strikeouts and 23 saves in 45 appearances.
It always helps to bring in an old friend with postseason experience and built-in familiarity with the whole coaching staff, top to bottom. Jansen won't be long for Boston this time around, but he'd sure help them in a competitive divisional race.