Trevor Williams signs deal to return to Nats

WASHINGTON -- The Nationals are getting some late 2024 business done before the new year arrives.

A day after the Nats agreed to a deal to bring back first baseman Josh Bell, according to a source, right-hander Trevor Williams is going to return on a two-year, $14 million contract.

Williams made just 13 starts this season after spending the bulk of the campaign on the injured list with a right flexor muscle strain, but he was effective when on the mound. He went 6-1 and posted a 2.03 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP.

The Nats were 10-3 in his outings. Williams delivered at least five frames and did not allow more than three earned runs in 12 of those starts, including a 45 1/3-inning homerless streak to begin the season.

The 32-year-old, who originally signed a two-year, $13 million deal with the Nationals as a free agent after the 2022 season, went 12-11 with a 4.44 ERA in 43 starts over the past two years.

“This is a tremendous team,” Williams said following his final start last season. “I’ve grown to love these guys in the clubhouse. What we’ve done is special, and we have an opportunity to win more games than we did last year and we made incredible strides. It’s a testament to the coaching staff and to the guys that put in the time and effort to do that. It’s a testament to the front office for finding players to supplement our team and getting us to where the Nationals need to be to win a World Series again, and I think they’re really close. I’d love to be a part of this team that wins another World Series here.”

The Nationals’ re-signing of Williams comes less than two weeks after inking right-hander Michael Soroka to a one-year, $9 million deal to join a starting rotation that already included right-hander Jake Irvin and lefties MacKenzie Gore, DJ Herz and Mitchell Parker.

This creates several scenarios to be considered in Spring Training: Will Williams be a veteran presence in the starting rotation and will a younger arm like Herz or Parker begin the season in Triple-A? Or will the Nats tap into Williams’ experience in the bullpen and utilize him as a long reliever?

In either role, Williams said in late September he was going to focus this winter on analyzing what brought him success on the mound in 2024, making necessary adjustments and strengthening to avoid injury again.

“I’m excited to see what the league will throw me next season,” he said.