Zack Littell’s stint with the Nationals ended almost as quickly as it began, but the right-hander didn’t stay on the market for long.
Washington designated Littell for assignment on Aug. 5 to clear a roster spot for Brad Lord, who returned from the 15-day injured list after being sidelined with left side tightness since July 9. Lord has been the Nationals’ most effective reliever this season, so the move was a necessary one. Littell, meanwhile, never gave the club what it had hoped for after signing him in the spring, and the Nationals tried to pass him through waivers with the hope that another team would take him.
No one did. Washington wound up releasing him on Aug. 7, and the financial side of the decision followed with it.
Now Littell has landed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. According to Nick Piecero of The Arizona Republic, Arizona has agreed to a deal with him, and Piecero reported it is a major league contract. The Diamondbacks will only be responsible for a prorated portion of the league minimum for the rest of the season, while the Nationals remain on the hook for the original salary and the $4 million buyout tied to the 2027 mutual option they declined.
On the field, Littell’s numbers in Washington tell the story. He posted a 4.97 ERA across 23 appearances, including 14 starts.
Arizona is not asking him to be a frontline arm, though. With injuries piling up throughout the pitching staff, the Diamondbacks are looking for someone who can cover innings as they push through the final stretch of the 2026 campaign.
It’s a move that makes sense on one level and carries risk on another. Arizona entered Sunday alone in third place in the NL wild card race, so every inning matters. If Littell performs the way he did with the Nationals, the addition could become a problem rather than a help.
There’s also a twist here that gives the signing a little extra bite: Washington could end up chasing a postseason spot against Littell’s new club. The Nationals and Diamondbacks don’t have any regular-season games left against each other, but Washington’s sweep of the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend has pushed them back into the playoff conversation. They still have work to do, especially after moving some of their best pieces ahead of the trade deadline, but they are within range with less than two months left in the 2026 season.
So while there won’t be a head-to-head meeting between Washington and Arizona down the stretch, they could still be fighting for the same wild card real estate. In that race, Littell may wind up mattering more than anyone expected when the Nationals let him go.
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