WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Right-hander Zack Littell and the Washington Nationals finalized a $7 million, one-year contract on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old gets a $3 million salary, and the deal includes a $12 million mutual option with a $4 million buyout.
He can earn an additional $2.5 million in performance bonuses for innings pitched: $100,000 each for 100 and each additional 10 through 140, $250,000 apiece for 150 and 160, and $500,000 each for 170, 180 and 190.
Littell was 10-8 with a 3.81 ERA in last year for Tampa Bay and Cincinnati, which acquired him July 30. He set career highs with 32 starts and 186 2/3 innings, pitching a 10-hitter in a 16-3 victory at Houston on May 31 for his first complete game since 2017 in the minor leagues.
Washington is rebuilding under Paul Toboni, who was hired as the team’s president of baseball operations after the Nationals went 66-96 last year. The organization hasn’t posted a winning season since it won the 2019 World Series.
Littell slots into a rotation that also includes Cade Cavalli and Miles Mikolas, who agreed to a $2.25 million, one-year contract last month. MacKenzie Gore was traded to Texas in January for five prospects.
Littell, an 11th-round pick in the 2013 amateur draft, made his big league debut with Minnesota in 2018. He is 34-29 with a 3.88 ERA in 155 relief appearances and 79 starts, also playing for San Francisco and Boston.
Left-hander Richard Lovelady was designated for assignment, opening a roster spot.
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