Top Landing Spots for Free Agent Zack Littell

The trend of signing a bullpen arm and transitioning them into a starter is not new. Maybe amplified recently, but not new. Zack Littell was a product of this strategy in 2024 when the Tampa Bay Rays once again worked their pitching magic, turning him from a middle-of-the-road relief pitcher to a 3.63 ERA, 3.88 FIP starter.

The Rays then shipped Littell off to Cincinnati at last season’s trade deadline, and he finished out the season with a 3.81 ERA and 4.88 FIP. If you watch Littell, you quickly notice that he does not look like many starters in today’s game.

A bit of a throwback, Littell relies on elite command and low velocity to navigate through lineups. He is one of the better pitchers at limiting walks, but he doesn’t come with anything else that truly sets him apart. He doesn’t miss barrels or rack up a ton of groundballs, which exposes him to some dangerous situations.

Although he’s not flashy, he is productive. Littell has started 79 games in his career, pitching to the tune of a 3.86 ERA with only 77 walks and 333 strikeouts across 422.1 innings. He’s the type of signing that you will not be excited about, but that at some point during the season, you’ll grow to appreciate.

In many ways, Littell is the perfect fifth starter: a predictable veteran who is not too high variance, stays healthy, and fills innings. It’s a type of pitcher that teams are always in the market for.

Top Landing Spots for Free Agent Zack Littell

Athletics

When you think about the Athletics, your mind drifts to Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, Shea Langeliers, and the rest of the young and exciting core they have built from the ground up. While the A’s are a team that is starting to head in the right direction, their pitching staff leaves much to be desired.

The A’s currently have two veterans who are stable rotation pieces that they can count on in Luis Severino and Jeffery Springs. Past those two, they have top prospect Luis Morales and a collection of fringe major leaguers, with Jacob Lopez having the most success of the bunch.

Littell would immediately provide another stable veteran presence and a higher floor than anyone not named Springs or Severino.

I think the A’s are in a position where they could offer a multi-year deal with modest money, and it would make sense for both sides. Littell gets some security, and the A’s get a veteran arm to help bridge the gap to the next wave of prospects coming through.

Los Angeles Angels

Trying to predict what the Angels will do each winter is like trying to predict what a three-year-old will say next. They have rarely operated in a similar fashion as every other organization, but if there’s one thing we do know, it’s that they need an arm.

Adding Grayson Rodriguez was a great start to the offseason. A high-upside arm with team control is something they lacked. Alek Manoah is a fine flyer, but they cannot bank on that one playing out in their favor. Next season should not be another year of forcing prospects who aren’t ready to fill major league innings.

Insert Littell, who immediately slots into the four or five spot and gives the Angels insurance on Rodriguez having any injury setbacks, Manoah not panning out, and Reid Detmers not transitioning back to the rotation well. Having Littell would make moving Detmers back to the bullpen, if his success doesn’t translate, much easier.

I think either a one-year or multi-year deal would fit for the Angeles. Yusei Kikuchi is a free agent after the 2027 season and could emerge as a trade piece before then. The Angels have very few “sure things” in their rotation over the next two or three seasons, and Littell could provide stability.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers’ 2025 certainly did not go as planned; they finished with a .500 record and nothing to show for it. However, this team is still built to compete for 2026 and will need to add reinforcements in order to do so. While the lineup could use a lift, I view the rotation as a bigger need at this point in time.

Right now, the Rangers have a great top two of veterans Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. Jack Leiter had a bit of a breakout in 2025, while Kumar Rocker was a mixed bag who could eventually land in the bullpen. Bottom line: The Rangers need help in the rotation.

The uncertainty surrounding just how many more years this core of the Rangers will be together gives me pause when it comes to projecting a big name and longer contract.

Littell would give them back-end stability, improve the team today, and not cost an arm and a leg or eat into many years in the future. For Littell, he joins a potential contender and has a pretty clear rotation spot locked up.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies are at a bit of a crossroads. The team, as you have come to know it, is starting to shed a couple of veterans, and unless re-signed, the Phillies will start looking different. With Ranger Suárez now on the open market, a rotation spot has opened up.

The combination of Zack Wheeler coming off of injury and top prospect Andrew Painter set to join the fold makes the need for a high-end replacement of Suárez a little less necessary. Especially when you consider the needs elsewhere on the roster.

I personally do not have a ton of faith in Taijuan Walker and Aaron Nola giving the Phillies the innings and production that it takes to remain a top team in baseball. Getting another veteran arm in the mix to bridge the innings gap until Wheeler and Painter show they are ready is a need.

If Littell does not get the term that he might be wanting, settling for a one-year deal, maybe even two, with a contender like the Phillies isn’t such a bad situation.

Littell’s a better pitcher than Walker, and Nola will need to bounce back from his down 2025 season. Once Wheeler, Painter, or another prospect enters the mix, Walker can shift to the bullpen, where Littell will join him come playoff time.

Final Thoughts

I don’t see Littell being at the point in his career where the most likely option is joining a non-contender only to be traded every year, à la Michael Lorenzen. I think a multi-year deal has been earned, which makes him a fit for non-contenders like the Angels and A’s. However, a one-year deal wouldn’t be shocking, either.

Every offseason, we see these back-end starters land with a team, no one gets too excited, and six months later, they have a sub-4.00 ERA and have stabilized the ups and downs throughout the year. Money well spent. Littell is exactly that type of pitcher, and teams always need them.