The Miami Marlins need a veteran first baseman. Should a World Series champ with declining stats be their target to bolster playoff hopes?
The Miami Marlins don’t have an established first baseman on the roster.
It’s not that Graham Pauley can’t be a quality major-league player.
But Pauley has yet to play a full season in the majors, and for a team looking to make the playoffs in 2026, bringing in a veteran would be wise.
Paul Goldschmidt is one option. The biggest pro to signing Goldschmidt is that he’s a former MVP. The biggest downside is that he’s 38 years old.
The Marlins could have also reunited with Luis Arraez. The biggest pro to that is that he’s a three-time batting champion. The biggest con is that his average has been declining for the past two seasons.
Now, those points are moot, because Arraez signed with the San Francisco Giants.
Then, there’s Nathaniel Lowe.
Lowe, at 30, isn’t as old as Goldschmidt, and he has more power than Arraez, with 107 home runs to his name (Arraez only has 36).
He’s also stout defensively, having won a Gold Glove in 2023 with the Texas Rangers, who he helped to a World Series championship that October.
A World Series ring is something neither Goldschmidt or Arraez has, so that’s another advantage.
After the 2023 season, Lowe spent one more year with the Rangers.
Then, he was traded to the Washington Nationals, where he had the worst statistical season of his career through 119 games before being designated for assignment in late August.
Lowe played 34 games with the Sox, and was DFA again in the offseason, making him a free agent.
For a player to be DFA twice within months, there must be some concerns, and such is the case with Lowe.
Before 2025, Lowe had never had a below average OPS+ (the league average is 100).
Last year, his OPS+ was 94, which is 22 points below his career mark. Was this a fluke, or is Lowe starting to decline?
That’s a question the Marlins must ask themselves when considering signing Lowe, if that is indeed what they’re doing.
But an equally important question they should ask themselves is if Lowe would be an upgrade over Pauley.
If the answer is yes, Miami should be interested.
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