Zack Littell Explains Why He Signed With Nationals Instead of Other Teams

The Washington Nationals made their offseason splash when they signed Zack Littell.

After initial reports didn't disclose what type of contract he inked with the Nationals, later information revealed that it was an incentive-laden one-year deal worth $7 million that can get up to $9.5 million with a $12 million mutual option for the 2027 season.

There's no doubt that this signing is a huge one for Washington, as this gives them a strong one-two punch at the top of their rotation alongside Opening Day starter Cade Cavalli. It also lengthens their starting unit and gives that position depth, which is something that was lacking entering the winter.

Now that Littell's addition is official, the veteran right-hander revealed why he signed with the Nationals instead of the other teams that were pursuing him throughout the offseason.

Zack Littell Believes This Is Best Place for Him to Be Starter This Season

Zack Littell of the Cincinnati Reds | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Littell has been effective as a starter since being converted into that role. So it's not a surprise he views himself in that light and wants to remain in the rotation no matter who he signed with this winter. And he made it clear that he believes Washington will provide that for him this year.

"I'm a starter. I came here to start," he said, per Jessica Camerato of MLB.com. "I had some other offers that were going to let me start, but also there was a little less certainty down the road of guys coming back, and it wasn't something that I really wanted to deal with. I think over the last two-and-a-half years, I've kind of proven that I can start and belong in the rotation. So the opportunity was presented here, and it's definitely what I wanted to do."

What's interesting about that quote is the Nationals do have some potential starters scheduled to return during the season at some point, as both DJ Herz and Trevor Williams are expected to make their way back from their respective elbow surgeries. How they will be used isn't clear, but it seems like Littell was assured he's going to remain in the rotation throughout 2026, barring injury, no matter what else happens.

The Nationals will try to get him ramped up as quickly as possible to see if he will be ready to be part of the equation by Opening Day. At the time of writing, the decision makers haven't determined when he'll pitch in a spring game just yet. But because he was throwing while he was a free agent, the hope is Littell can get some live-game reps in soon so he's ready for the start of the season.

Familiarity With Coaching Staff Also Helped Nationals Land Zack Littell

There is a lot of familiarity between the new staff in Washington and Littell. Not only was Simon Mathews his assistant pitching coach with the Cincinnati Reds, but he also knew manager Blake Butera and bench coach Michael Johns from his time with the Tampa Bay Rays. Catching coach/run game coordinator Bobby Wilson was also a teammate of Littell's coming up the minor league system of the Minnesota Twins, which is also where hitting coach Matt Borgschulte was when working his way up the ranks as a minor league hitting coach.

"I had some familiarity with the staff and saw that it was going to be a really good group," Littell stated, per Camerato. "This roster, although younger and a little less experienced, has a lot of talent. So it's an exciting place to be.

That familiarity combined with the prospect of him remaining a starting pitcher for the Nationals this year were two major reasons why he decided to sign with Washington. And as this team enters the upcoming season, the starting rotation looks much better on paper following the addition of Littell than it otherwise would have if he chose another team.