First baseman Nathaniel Lowe lost to Washington on Saturday in the final salary arbitration case this year and will get the Nationals’ $10.3 million offer rather than his $11.1 million request, leaving teams with a winning record at 5-4.

Lowe hit .265 with 16 homers and a career-high 89 RBIs last season for the Texas Rangers, who traded him to Washington on Dec. 22 for left-hander Robert Garcia.

Lowe had a $7.5 million salary last year and is eligible for arbitration again next offseason and for free agency after the 2026 World Series.

The nine decisions matched the fewest since teams went 5-4 in 2021. Players went 9-6 last year.

Teams have a 358-270 advantage since arbitration started in 1974.

Among 169 players eligible for arbitration after the tender deadline on Nov. 22, only 17 were headed to hearings following the Jan. 9 exchange of figures.

Clubs also defeated St. Louis outfielder/infielder Brendan Donovan ($2.85 million instead of $3.3 million), New York Yankees reliever Mark Leiter Jr. ($2.05 million instead of $2.5 million) and Pittsburgh pitchers Dennis Santana ($1.4 million instead of $2.1 million) and Johan Oviedo ($850,000 instead of $1.15 million).

Winners were Angels infielder Luis Rengifo ($5.95 million instead of $5.8 million), St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar ($2.95 million instead of $2.45 million), Cardinals pitcher Andre Pallante ($2.1 million instead of $1,925,000) and Angels outfielder Mickey Moniak ($2 million instead of $1.5 million).

EX-PITCHER JENKS HAS CANCER >> Bobby Jenks, a two-time All-Star closer and World Series champion with the Chicago White Sox, is being treated for stomach cancer.

Jenks shared his condition from a Portugal hospital bed in an interview with MLB.com on Saturday.

The 43-year-old Jenks said he’s planning to recover well enough to return for a second season as manager of the minor league Windy City Thunderbolts in Crestwood, Illinois.

Jenks helped the White Sox win the 2005 World Series, saving four games in six appearances during the postseason run. He was an All-Star in each of the next two seasons while saving a total of 81 games in 2006 and 2007. Over the next three seasons, he averaged 28-plus saves a year.

He retired 41 consecutive batters in 2007, matching a record for a reliever.

Jenks saved 173 games for the White Sox over six seasons before finishing his career with 19 appearances in 2011 with the Boston Red Sox.

RAGANS GETS NEW DEAL >> All-Star left-hander Cole Ragans and the Kansas City Royals agreed to a $13.25 million, three-year contract.

Ragans gets a $250,000 signing bonus and salaries of $1 million this year, $4.5 million in 2026 and $7.5 million in 2027.

Ragans, 27, was 11-9 with a 3.14 ERA in 32 starts last year with 223 strikeouts and 67 walks in 186 1/3 innings. He led AL qualified pitchers with an average of 10.77 strikeouts per nine innings and finished fourth in Cy Young voting.

He is 18-17 with a 3.46 ERA is 53 starts and 17 relief appearances over four seasons, including 16-11 with a 3.00 ERA in 44 starts since Kansas City acquired him from Texas on June 30, 2023, for reliever Aroldis Chapman.