PHOENIX -- Starting pitching is akin to air conditioning during the Arizona summer in the sense that you can never have enough of it.
To that end, the D-backs have reportedly agreed to a deal with right-hander Zack Littell, a source told MLB.com. The club has not yet confirmed the agreement.
Littell was designated for assignment by the Nationals on Wednesday and by virtue of his claim, the club would be solely on the hook for a prorated version of his $7 million salary and able to bring him aboard less than a week after the Trade Deadline.
The 30-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Nationals this offseason and was a steady option every five days, whether serving as the starting pitcher or bulk reliever. Things clicked during May when he posted a 2.35 ERA and 1.01 WHIP across six appearances before things headed south; in 10 outings since June 12, he’s posted a 1-4 record to go along with a 5.25 ERA.
But adding Littell to the mix would give the D-backs another reliable arm as they wait for some key rotation options to return. After exiting his start early Friday with a right leg cramp, Merrill Kelly is expected to be fine and make his next turn through the rotation, but the club is also down Zac Gallen (right elbow inflammation) and Corbin Burnes (Tommy John surgery/teres major strain), both of whom could play key roles if their rehabs don’t hit a snag (or a second one, in Burnes’ case).
Michael Soroka (left glute strain) will return from the injured list to start Monday night in the series opener vs. the Rockies. With left-hander Kohl Drake (Arizona’s No. 21 prospect) optioned to Triple-A Reno after his start Thursday, the group could use some length in a swingman-type role in the short term.
“Zack’s meant a ton to us on the field and off the field,” Nationals manager Blake Butera said of Littell earlier this week. “Obviously, he was frustrated with the performance; he wishes he had pitched better. I told him we were all very appreciative for what he brought to the clubhouse, the type of leader he is. I thought he brought this group together as a whole. Also, I was appreciative for being open-minded to the different roles that we had him go through this year and tried to find ways to help him have success and maybe get rolling a little bit.”
After finding success in relief across his first five and a half Major League seasons, Littell transitioned to the rotation midway through 2023 as a member of the Rays. He has since made 89 big league starts for three different clubs (Rays, Reds, Nationals) and worked to the tune of a combined 4.04 ERA over that stretch.
Littell won’t be confused for a flamethrower but rather relies upon his five-pitch mix for keeping the opposition off balance. He averages just 91.7 mph on his four-seam fastball, also incorporating a sinker, slider, splitter and sweeper, all of which he throws to batters from either side of the plate. The slider has long been his bread and butter but it’s particularly worked well in 2026, limiting batters to a .227 average.
He’d been a reliable innings eater for the Nationals this season, working at least five innings in 15 of his 23 appearances. But where’s he run into trouble is that four-seamer -- it’s been hit to the tune of a .306 average and .639 slugging percentage, leading to 25 home runs allowed across 112 1/3 innings this season, tied for third most among all National League hurlers. After ranking in at least the top six percentile across the Majors in walk rate over each of the past three seasons, his strikethrowing is still better than league average, but has backed up in 2026 (7.3 percent, 67th percentile).
His contact-based arsenal could receive a boost with the D-backs boasting the second-best defensive unit in the league per FanGraphs’ outs above average measurement. (The Nationals, by comparison, ranked in the bottom third of the league.) Littell is on pace to post career lows in numerous batted-ball data measurements but even so has managed to hold right-handed batters to a .249 average and .690 OPS, with 18 of the 25 homers he’s allowed coming against lefties.