No one saw this move coming from the Washington Nationals.
Nathaniel Lowe hit a grand slam on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the Nats had designated Lowe for assignment.
That removes the big first baseman from the 40-man roster and places him on waivers. If a team doesn't claim Lowe off waivers, he can be assigned to Triple-A Rochester.
The Nationals made the move to create roster space to activate 23-year old outfielder Dylan Crews from the injured list, but it's still a bit confusing.
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Lowe isn't in the last year of his contract. The Nationals have another year of team control with him.
Doing this exposes Lowe to getting claimed by another team not just for this season for next, too.
The Nats clearly had decided they don't really need Lowe anymore. It'll be up to time to tell whether that's right.
Washington added Lowe from the Rangers this offseason, and he admittedly hasn't lived up to his career numbers. His .216 batting average is 47 points below his career number.
Still, Lowe has hit 17 doubles, 16 homers and driven in 68 runs while walking at a decent rate.
He's 30 years old and has previously won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award.
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The Nationals in their current state aren't necessarily in a position to let talented players get away.
Maybe they believe no one will claim Lowe off waivers because his contract this year is for $10.3 million, and arbitration could give him another sizable salary next season.
But it's a risk, one that it doesn't seem like the Nats had to make.
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