The Nationals have moved on from Trevor Williams after the veteran right-hander cleared waivers and was released yesterday, according to the club’s transaction log at MLB.com. Washington had designated the 34-year-old for assignment last week.
That decision closes the door on Williams’ second two-year stint with the Nationals, and this one never really found the same footing as the first. A UCL injury last summer led to surgery and wiped out most of his current season. When he finally returned a few days before the trade deadline, Washington shifted him into the bullpen, where he worked in a multi-inning role and gave the team solid results: a 2.65 ERA over 17 innings, with strikeout and walk numbers that stood out - 31% of opponents punched out against an 8.5% walk rate.
On the surface, those are the kind of numbers that make a DFA and release look a little odd. But the Nationals are also giving a veteran a chance to catch on with a contender for the stretch run, while opening innings for arms that could still be around next season.
There’s also reason to wonder whether the recent strikeout surge can hold. Williams is averaging just 89.9 mph on his four-seamer and has an 11.3% swinging-strike rate, which doesn’t exactly scream dominant stuff and doesn’t fully back up the punchout totals he’s posted so far.
Because he has already cleared release waivers, Williams now has a window to sign with another club before tomorrow’s postseason eligibility deadline. Even a minor league deal could keep him in play for October, though his new team would need to petition for him as a replacement for an injured player.
That kind of maneuver happens all the time. If he lands somewhere today in any capacity, he could still be eligible if he keeps pitching well.
Williams’ Nationals tenure will be remembered as a four-season run with plenty of ups and downs. He logged an ERA above 5.00 as a fifth starter in 2023, was excellent across 13 starts in 2024 before injuries ended that season early, and then struggled through 17 starts before last year’s UCL tear.
In all, he finishes his time in Washington with a 4.81 ERA across 310 2/3 innings. The Nationals paid him $27MM over those four seasons, and his overall production with the club lined up fairly closely with his career numbers: a 4.43 ERA, 19.1% strikeout rate, 7.2% walk rate and 41.1% ground-ball rate in 1026 major league innings.
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