The Diamondbacks have put Zack Littell on release waivers, according to the MLB.com transaction log. If he clears, he’ll be a free agent.
Arizona moved on from the veteran right-hander on Sunday, designating him for assignment after just three outings in a D-backs uniform. The club brought him in as a long reliever after Washington released him, and Littell’s first appearance made it look like a smart pickup. He covered 4 2/3 scoreless innings to close out a shutout win over Colorado.
The next two trips to the mound went the other way in a hurry. Littell was hit for 12 runs across 7 1/3 innings in those outings, and five of those runs came via the home run ball.
That’s been the recurring issue with his game. He allowed 36 homers last season and has already given up 30 more this year, putting him second in both seasons and making him the overall leader dating back to 2025.
Littell does not hand out many walks, but the rest of the profile has been harder to trust. His stuff grades below average, and his strikeout rate this season sits at 13.5%.
Arizona signed Littell to a big league contract when he became available on August 9, but he may be staring at minor league interest this time. The Nationals are covering most of his $3MM salary and will owe the $4MM option buyout at season’s end. Any club that wants him on the big league roster would only be on the hook for the prorated share of the $780K league minimum.
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