Recently Released Nationals Pitcher Trevor Williams Inks MLB Deal With AL Team
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Throughout the course of the 2026 season, Washington Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni has made changes to the roster.
Many people expected that to occur this past winter when he first was hired. But the first-year executive decided to use this season as an evaluation period as he and his front office assessed what moves they needed to make to push this franchise forward.
One of the most decisions they made was to designate right-handed pitcher Trevor Williams for assignment. The veteran arm made his return from an internal brace procedure. But despite pitching relatively well, the Nationals moved on from the 34-year-old when they released him on Aug. 30 after he went unclaimed on waivers.
Trevor Williams Signs Deal With Texas Rangers
It didnt' take long for Williams to find a new home, though.
The Texas Rangers announced that they signed Williams to an MLB deal. With major league rosters expanding from 26 to 28 men on Sept. 1, he was able to slide onto their active roster where he will try to help them earn a wild card spot in the final month of the regular season.
Williams, who had primarily been a starter throughout his career, came back from his long absence as a reliever with Washington. Across eight outings, he posted a 2.65 ERA where he struck out 22 batters and walked six over 17 innings pitched.
It's not clear what role the Rangers have in mind for the veteran. But considering the 31% strikeout rate that he currently has in this limited sample size is the best of his career, Texas might believe that they can get the most out of their newest addition if they also utilize him out of the bullpen.
Nationals On the Hook for Majority of Trevor Williams' Salary
Just like was the case when they designated right-hander Zack Littell for assignment and then released him earlier in the season, the Nationals will owe the majority of Williams' salary for the remainder of the year while the Rangers only have to pay the prorated league minimum for any time he spends on their big league roster.
Washington knew that was likely going to be the case when they moved on from him, but they figured that having an open spot within their pitching staff for the rest of the season was more beneficial than keeping him around.
It will be interesting to see how Williams performs with his new team. Texas entered Tuesday two games under .500. But because the AL wild card picture is so tight, they are only 1.5 games out of the final spot. So if he can continue to have success like he did with the Nationals, then he could impact the playoff race in the American League by helping the Rangers secure a spot in the postseason.
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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