In a post on his agency's X account, it was announced that Spenser Watkins has signed with the Washington Nationals. It remains unclear whether the contract is for the majors or a minor league deal.

According to Roch Kubatko of MASN, the former Baltimore Orioles pitcher was contemplating signing with the KBO league or a Major League Baseball team. However, it appears that he has indeed signed with the Nationals.

Watkins, a 30th-round pick for the Tigers in the 2014 draft, didn't make his MLB debut until 2021 when he joined the Orioles on a free-agent deal. The right-hander posted an 8.07 ERA over 54 2/3 frames for Baltimore that season and then a 4.70 ERA in 105 1/3 innings in 2022. All in all, this translates to a 5.97 ERA in 164 1/3 career innings for Watkins, along with a 13.9% strikeout rate and a 6.9% walk rate.

Watkins was outrighted off Oakland’s 40-man roster last August, allowing him to reject any future outright assignments in favor of free agency.


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