Washington Nationals agree to terms with Zack Littell
The Washington Nationals signed right-handed pitcher Zack Littell to a one-year Major League contract with a mutual option for the 2027 season and designated left-handed pitcher Richard Lovelady for assignment on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni made the announcement.
Littell, 30, is one of just 12 pitchers in Major League Baseball to make 60 starts and maintain an ERA under 3.75 since the beginning of 2024. He led MLB last season with .042 walks per batter faced and was second with 1.54 walks per 9.0 innings.
Originally an 11th-round pick by the Seattle Mariners in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Eastern Alamance High School (N.C.), Littell set career highs in wins (10), starts (32) and innings pitched (186.2), while pitching to a 3.81 ERA for Tampa Bay and Cincinnati in 2025. He also threw his first career complete game on May 31 at Houston.
The Burlington, N.C. native is 34-29 with a 3.88 ERA in 234 games (79 starts) in eight Major League seasons with Minnesota (2018-20), San Francisco (2021-22), Boston (2023), Tampa Bay (2023-25) and Cincinnati (2025). After making 18 starts in his first 173 Major League games, Littell has started each of his last 61 appearances over the last two seasons.