Former Baltimore Orioles Pitcher Spurs KBO, Signs with NL East Squad

After looking like a done deal that he was heading to the KBO last week, former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Spenser Watkins has elected to sign with the Washington Nationals.

Late last week, it looked like a done deal that former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Spenser Watkins was going to sign in Korea with a team in the KBO.

Now, Watkins has turned in another direction and signed a deal with the Washington Nationals.

Per his agency on social media:

"I would like to start by genuinely thanking every KBO and NPB team that took the time to reach out, get to know me and ultimately offer me a spot on their respective club. It is truly an honor to be considered worthy of a foreign roster spot, given so few are allotted. 

After long discussions with my family, and weighing all the factors at hand, mainly the birth of my daughter in January, I am electing to stay in the United States. I am excited to announce that I have reached an agreement with the Washington Nationals.

While my ambition is to one day play in either Korea or Japan, my current focus is to ensure the healthy birth of my daughter, coming in the new year...."

BREAKING:📍Washington, D.C. @spnsrwtkns #Natitude pic.twitter.com/xTqAM9W7Mn

— Gaeta Sports Mgt (@GaetaSportsMgt) December 17, 2023

Certainly no one can fault Watkins for wanting to stay in the country given that he's going to be a father to a newborn. It's also admirable from a baseball standpoint, given that he's almost assuredly taking less money to stay in the US, and he's likely only getting a minor league shot with the Nationals.

Watkins has appeared in major league games during parts of three seasons with the Orioles and Athletics. He debuted for the Orioles in the 2021 season and then also pitched there in 2022. He made one appearance for Oakland in 2023.

He was actually traded from the Orioles to the Houston Astros in 2023 but then was DFA'd in August, which allowed him to get to Oakland for an opportunity there.

Lifetime, he's a 7-14 pitcher with a 5.97 ERA. He's thrown 164.1 major league innings. 

Watkins is a great success story by ever having made it to the major leagues. He was a 30th-round pick in the 2014 draft of the Detroit Tigers. The 30th round of the draft no longer even exists.

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