The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline.
The trade
Guardians get: 1B Nathaniel Lowe
Reds get: RHP Alejandro Rivera
Offense-starved Guardians settle for half-measure solution
Guardians: C+
Reds: B-
The Guardians have the lowest OPS in baseball. Is a left-handed, platoon first baseman going to fix that? Between Lowe and right-handed addition Jo Adell, the Guardians basically added one good hitter at the deadline. Each can be productive in a platoon, but each is stretched in an everyday role. Lowe could be the third first baseman on the roster — along with Kyle Manzardo and Rhys Hoskins — but those two have significantly underperformed, and Lowe at least crushes righties. It’s a nice addition, even if it feels like another half-hearted attempt to address an ongoing offensive problem.
As for the Reds, they turned one solid year of Lowe into a lottery ticket. Rivera is a 19-year-old with good numbers and a long, long way to go.
— Chad Jennings
