40-man: Nate Lowe.


A continuing look at the Rangers 40-man roster.

NATE LOWE
Age: 25
Left-Handed Hitting Corner Infielder. 

The Rangers are smart to trade with Tampa Bay. It’s a franchise that has proven to be good at evaluating talent, which they aren’t. Know your weaknesses and overcome them. It’s where Nick Solak came from as well.

Lowe have five years of control, so he will be relatively inexpensive. And all signs point he should be productive. It would be hard for him to be less productive than the guy he will likely replace, Ronald Guzman.

Don’t let Lowe’s 2020 fool you. Even though he hit just .224 with only four home runs, he has proven he can hit at every level. In spite of his low batting average, his OPS+ in 2020 was 102, which would put him at the very top of Rangers hitters, now that Choo is gone.

In four minor league seasons, Lowe was an even .300 hitter with an .883 OPS. He seems to make contact too. These are all traits that are foreign to a Rangers hitter and will be a welcome addition to their lineup.

Lowe will likely play first but, assuming the Rangers don’t plug their hole at third, he can slide across the diamond and play there as well. 

He is an upgrade for sure, with a lot of upside.