The Nationals make another move, bringing back veteran Trevor Williams on a two-year $14 million deal
The Nationals are bringing back Trevor Williams on a two-year deal worth $14 million. After originally signing with the Nats on a two-year $13 million deal prior to the 2023 season, the veteran right hander gets a one million dollar bump.
After a disastrous 2023 season, where he posted a 5.55 ERA, Williams had a big bounce back season. While he missed a big chunk of the season due to injury, Williams was masterful when healthy. He posted a 2.03 ERA across 13 starts.
A big reason for Williams success was his usage. The Nationals rarely let Williams face hitters three times in starts, and mostly limited him to five inning outings. Williams also trained at Driveline last offseason, where his pitch mix was optimized. Most notably, he added a sweeper, which was an extremely effective pitch for him.
If Williams can perform anywhere near the level he did in 2024, this is a bargain. However, Williams has been a volatile pitcher throughout his career. He does not have dominant stuff, so he is reliant on pinpoint command to succeed. If that fails him, he does not have anything to fall back on.
The Nationals now have six starters they like heading into Spring Training. Mackenzie Gore, DJ Herz, Jake Irvin, Michael Soroka, Mitchell Parker, and Trevor Williams are all in the mix in the Nats rotation. It is very possible that the Nats start the season with a six man rotation.
However, the Williams contract is another example of the Nats settling for the cheaper option. They still have not handed out a contract worth more than 15 million dollars since the 2020/21 offseason. There is still time for them to do that this offseason, but it is feeling increasingly less likely.