The Nationals have moved on from Zack Littell, designating the right-hander for assignment and opening a roster spot for Brad Lord, who is back after a stint on the 15-day injured list.
Littell, 30, leaves Washington after working 112 1/3 innings this season and carrying a 4.97 ERA. The numbers tell the story: his strikeout rate has dipped to a career-low 14.6%, while his 7.3% walk rate is solid but well above the 4.2% mark he posted across the previous three seasons combined. That drop in punchouts, paired with a lighter walk profile than he’d shown at his best, goes a long way toward explaining why he hasn’t come close to the 3.80 ERA he put up from 2023-25.
There was at least a stretch where Littell steadied himself. After a rough opening month, he settled in enough to carry a 3.98 ERA dating back to the start of May, even after being hit hard for eight runs in a road outing against the A’s in mid-July.
The underlying strikeout and walk rates during that span were not much different from his season totals, and much of the better run came while he was working as a bulk pitcher behind an opener. He also cut down on the home run damage that had plagued him early, though that may have been helped by not having to navigate the top of opposing lineups as often as he did when starting from the first inning.
Washington’s bet on Littell came over the winter, when the club signed him to a one-year, $7MM deal on March 10 after he found a softer market than expected in free agency. He’s been paid a $3MM salary, while the remaining $4MM is tied to a buyout on a 2027 mutual option. That financial setup all but guarantees he’ll clear waivers, since he’s still owed about $850K of his salary plus the buyout, for a total of $4.85MM.
The contract also included innings-based incentives, and Littell had already reached the 100-inning threshold that unlocked them. He was set to earn $100K for every tenth inning from 100 through 140, then $250K at 150 and 160, and $500K at 170, 180 and 190.
He had already banked $200K in bonuses and had a real shot at another $550K or so just by staying healthy through the rest of the year. Once he clears waivers, though, those incentives disappear.
A new team would only be responsible for the prorated league minimum if Littell is added to its big league roster, and there should be interest. Even with an uneven season, he still has a track record as a fourth- or fifth-starter type and, earlier in his career, as a usable reliever. That kind of arm usually finds work, and Littell should get another chance somewhere once he reaches the market.
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