"The peripherals and velocity have not been overly impressive for Littell, who doesn't walk anyone (or strike anyone out) and manages contact reasonably well. There's obviously a lot of batted ball risk when a guy strikes out just 17.1% of the batters he faces, and the market pretty clearly didn't want to hand out a deal of any significance in the face of that risk."
"His 3.80 ERA the last three years is 7% better than league average by ERA-, but his 4.34 FIP is 4% worse than league average. So he's probably more like an average pitcher than a good one, with some downside risk."
"The Nationals, as a young and rebuilding club, make as much sense as anyone for Zack Littell, who might pitch his way into another mid-year trade."
Zack Littell, a 30-year-old right-handed pitcher with a solid Major League track record, faced an unexpectedly long free agency period before signing a one-year deal with the Nationals. Though not elite, Littell was anticipated to secure a significant multi-year contract. However, his peripherals revealed concerns: a 17.1% strikeout rate, minimal walks, and a 4.34 FIP that trails league average by 4%, despite a 3.80 ERA over three years. The market hesitated to commit long-term given the batted ball risk associated with his low strikeout rate. The Nationals, a young rebuilding team, represent a logical fit, with Littell potentially becoming a mid-season trade candidate. He joins Miles Mikolas and Foster Griffin as rotation additions.
#free-agency #mlb-pitching #washington-nationals #contract-negotiations #pitcher-performance-analysis
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