On December 22, 2024, The Washington Nationals and the Texas Rangers made an under-the-radar trade involving two key contributors that have performed well in 2025.
In the MLB, it is very rare to see a one-for-one trade especially involving a player under team control. In the 2025 off-season, the Washington Nationals traded with the Texas Rangers for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe in exchange for left-handed-pitcher Robert Garcia. At the time, it was hard to say Washington lost this trade as Nathaniel Lowe has been an above-average hitter and defender and Lowe filled the biggest need for Washington, an everyday first baseman. As we are over thirty games into the season, this trade can be seen as a win-win but also a lose-lose at the same time. It may be too early to tell, but who won this trade?
Let’s dive into each player involved in the trade but also each team’s replacements for the players lost.
Nathaniel Lowe – Washington Nationals (4)
pic.twitter.com/zhiW2ctQde— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) April 22, 2025
WAS RECEIVES: 1B Nathaniel Lowe – 32 G, .246/.321/.449, 117 OPS+, 6 HR, 25 RBI
TEX RECEIVES: LHP Robert Garcia – 16 G, 2.03 ERA, 2.01 FIP, 0.98 WHIP
Nathaniel Lowe has been a staple point for the Nationals offense this season. The former Silver Slugger has tapped into his power that was put on display back in 2022, his first season with the Rangers. Providing great offense at first base is a must in today’s league but the most underrated aspect of Lowe’s game is his defense and back in 2023 received his first Gold Glove award. Lowe is arguably the most valuable player in this trade due to his great performance and his ability to be heavily relied upon.
Robert Garcia was a valuable lefty out of the bullpen for Washington in 2024. In 2024, Garcia finished with a 4.22 ERA but pitched in 72 games and had an FIP of 2.38. It was odd to see Texas deal Lowe away, however since hitting 27 home runs in 2022, Lowe’s power has steadily been on the decline. This season, Garcia has been one of the best relievers for Texas, already pitching in 16 games and a career-best 2.03 ERA and a 2.01 FIP. Losing Garcia has been a huge blow this season, as the Washington bullpen has been one of the worst in all of baseball.
WAS REPLACEMENT: LHP Colin Poche – 13 G, 11.42 ERA, 6.41 FIP, 2.54 WHIP
TEX REPLACEMENT: 1B Jake Burger – 30 G, .190/.231/.330,62 OPS+, 3 HR, 12 RBI
Colin Poche was set to replace Robert Garcia, filling the need for a reliable left-handed reliever. Poche had seen great success in his six years with the Tampa Bay Rays. Over the past three seasons, Poche has supported his great track record producing sub-4.00 ERA seasons of this span. However, the wheels fell off in 2025 and on May 2, Poche was DFA’ed by Washington.
We have made the following roster moves:
– agreed to terms on a one-year contract with LHP Andrew Chafin
– designated LHP Colin Poche for assignment— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 1, 2025
29-year-old Jake Burger has struggled to find a long-term home since debuting for the Chicago White Sox in 2021. Texas is his third team and has shown major regression from the previous four seasons. Burger has been an above-average offensive presence since entering the MLB, supporting a 100 OPS+ or better in every season besides 2025. The Texas Rangers as of May 2 have optioned Burger to Triple-A for an offensive “reset”.
It is hard to say who the winner and loser of this trade is because of how early it is in the season. Washington would love to have Garcia and Texas would love to have Nathaniel Lowe and both positions are currently an area of need. In reality, both seem to have suffered a win-win and a lose-lose, choosing to prioritize different team needs while sacrificing strengths. Nathaniel Lowe is valuable every day, so Washington has a lead in the win department, however, they are missing Garcia more than ever.