Former Nationals Pitcher Zack Littell Finds New Home After Getting Released
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On Aug. 5, the Washington Nationals made the decision to designate right-handed pitcher Zack Littell for assignment as a way to make room on the roster for a returning Brad Lord.
Lord, who had been on the 15-day injured list due to left side tightness since July 9, has been the Nationals' best reliever over the course of the season. It was imperative that he made his return, and because Littell had not performed in the way that anyone envisioned when he was signed during the spring, Washington DFA'd him in hopes that a team out there would claim the veteran off waivers.
That didn't happen, which didn't help the Nationals when it came to their finances since they had to release him on Aug. 7. But Littell did find a new home with a National League contender.
Diamondbacks Set to Sign Zack Littell
Per Nick Piecero of The Arizona Republic, the Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a deal with Littell. While nothing is official at the time of writing, Piecero reports that this is a major league contract. The Diamondbacks will only have to pay him a prorated portion of the league minimum for the rest of the season since the Nationals are still on the hook for the original salary he was signed for, as well as a $4 million buyout that came from them declining his 2027 mutual option.
Littell was not effective for Washington with an ERA of 4.97 in 23 appearances (14 starts), but Arizona doesn't need him to be a frontline starter for them. The Diamondbacks have been impacted by injuries across their pitching staff, so this addition will provide them coverage for innings coming down the final stretch of the 2026 campaign.
However, this move could also backfire for Arizona. They are in the midst of a playoff push, as they entered Sunday with sole possession of the third NL wild card spot. If Littell pitches poorly for them -- like he did for the Nationals -- then that could spell trouble.
Nationals Could Be Battling Zack Littell for Playoff Spot
What makes this destination for Littell notable is the fact that Washington could find themselves in a battle for a place in the postseason against his new team at some point in the near future.
While the Nationals and Diamondbacks aren't set to play each other again during the regular season, after Washington swept the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend, they have put themselves back into the playoff picture. Of course, the Nationals will need to keep performing at the level they did against the Reds, but after they sold off some of their best pieces ahead of the trade deadline, they are within striking distance with less than two months remaining in the 2026 campaign.
So, despite the fact that Washington and Arizona don't face each other in any head-to-head matchups coming down the final stretch of the season, the two sides could be competing for a wild card spot where Littell might be the difference one way or another.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai