Nathaniel Lowe found a place on the Reds’ roster, reports C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. The veteran first baseman signed a minor league contract with the club in mid-February. He’s scheduled to make $1.75MM with the big league team, with an additional $250K available in incentives. Rosecrans notes that Lowe is expected to take a place on the 40-man roster Hunter Greeneheaded to IL for 60 days after elbow surgery.
Cincinnati announced the outfielders Rece Hinds again JJ Bleday they were optioned to Triple-A. Write again Dane Myers will round out the bench, as well as the backup catcher Jose Trevino and the user Spencer Steer. The Reds again sent the right hand Zach Maxwell in Triple-A. Left hand Sam Moll found the bull’s last place, according to Rosecrans.
Lowe was traded from the Rangers to the Nationals for relief Robert Garcia last season. He hit just .216 in 119 games with Washington and was cut in mid-August. Lowe then contacted the Red Sox. He found some value in Boston, slashing .280/.370/.420 in 119 plate appearances. The end result was still a career-worst 91 wRC+. The 30-year-old has received little interest this winter, but a strong Spring Training will propel him to the big league gig. Lowe posted a 143 wRC+ in 15 spring games. He tallied seven extra-base hits, including three home runs.
Hinds did everything he could to get a job in the spring. He hit five home runs and drove in 11 in 43 plate appearances. The 25-year-old is known for his big power, but he also hit .410 in a limited Spring Training sample.
The Reds didn’t really need to keep another starting pitcher, with Steer a capable back-up at the back Sal Stewartbut the decision came down to finding the usual Reps for Hinds. “I was very careful about how I spoke to him,” manager Terry Francona said about breaking the news to the outfielder.(Females) has done enough to make the team, but the role is a bench role, and we want you to play.”
Bleday signed a one-year contract in late December. He made a strong case for a roster spot himself, launching four home runs and starting at a .364 clip. Bleday proved to be a consistent contributor for the Athletics, slashing .243/.324/.437 with a career-best 20 home runs in 2024. He hit a .656 OPS in the first two months of the 2025 campaign and found himself back in Triple-A. Bleday returned to the big league club in August, but was assigned at the end of the season. He and Hinds both have a minor league option remaining.
Maxwell, known as Big Sugar, will return to the minors as the Reds select another left-hander in the fold. The 6’6″, 275-pound righty with a three-string fastball delivered solid results in his first taste of the majors last year. Maxwell posted a 30.2% strikeout rate with an xFIP and SIERA over 3.00. He has struck out batters at a 31% clip this spring, though a few shaky outings to start Cactus League action have resulted in a 5.40 ERA.
Moll has run out of options, and Maxwell has three left. The veteran gives the Reds another left-center fielder this season Caleb Ferguson set aside. Cincinnati also added Brock Burke trade this offseason. Brandon Williamson he’s in the bullpen, though he’ll have a long reliever/first piggyback option.
Photo courtesy of Frank Bowen IV of The Enquirer via Imagn Images
