WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) \u2014 Right-hander Zack Littell and the Washington Nationals finalized a $7 million, one-year contract on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The 30-year-old gets a $3 million salary, and the deal includes a $12 million mutual option with a $4 million buyout.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Washington is rebuilding under Paul Toboni, who was hired as the team\u2019s president of baseball operations<\/a> after the Nationals went 66-96 last year. The organization hasn\u2019t posted a winning season since it won the 2019 World Series.<\/p>\n Littell slots into a rotation that also includes Cade Cavalli and Miles Mikolas, who agreed to a $2.25 million, one-year contract<\/a> last month. MacKenzie Gore was traded<\/a> to Texas in January for five prospects.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Left-hander Richard Lovelady was designated for assignment, opening a roster spot.<\/p>\n