In a shocking turn of events, the Boston Red Sox are swiftly moving on from one of their midseason pickups, whose brief stint with the team has come to a dramatic and abrupt end.

The Red Sox have finally locked in their first base solution by swinging a blockbuster trade with the St. Louis Cardinals for three-time All-Star Willson Contreras. With Triston Casas plagued by regression and nagging injuries, Boston desperately needed stability at the position—but this bold move spells doom for 30-year-old Nathaniel Lowe, whose locker in Fenway Park is practically being cleared out as we speak.

Lowe, unceremoniously designated for assignment by the Washington Nationals midway through the season, landed with the Red Sox to finish out the year. In just 34 games for Boston, the once-promising slugger managed a .280/.370/.420 slash line, along with two home runs and 16 RBIs. But that fleeting glimpse of potential wasn’t enough to secure his future.

Boston non-tendered Lowe’s contract, thrusting him into free agency, and the Contreras acquisition has slammed the door shut on any chance of a return. Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter, in his Friday projections for every team’s 2026 starting lineup, foresees Lowe packing his bags for the Colorado Rockies, where he’d step in as their everyday first baseman.

“The Rockies remain a logical landing spot for one of the veteran first basemen still looking for a new home, which includes Nathaniel Lowe, Rhys Hoskins, Ty France, and LaMonte Wade Jr.,” Reuter noted. “Aside from a potential short-term signing to address that roster hole, it will likely be a quiet offseason heading into spring training, though there have been some rumblings surrounding Brenton Doyle as a potential trade candidate.”