Dec. 18: It’s a minor league deal for Watkins, tweets Andrew Golden of the Washington Post. He’ll vie for a roster spot in camp next spring.
Dec. 17: The Nationals have signed right-hander Spenser Watkins, as revealed by Watkins himself in a statement on X (via the account of his agency, Gaeta Sports Management). Reports from earlier this week suggested that Watkins was close to a deal with a KBO League team, yet as Watkins explained in his statement, he chose to stay in the United States due to the upcoming birth of his daughter in January.
Watkins, 31, pitched in only Major League game in 2023, allowing five runs over 4 1/3 innings in a start for the Athletics on August 15. The rest of his season was spent at the Triple-A level, with Watkins delivering a 7.86 ERA over 71 combined innings for the top affiliates of the A’s, Astros, and Orioles.
A 30th-round pick for the Tigers in the 2014 draft, Watkins didn’t make his MLB debut until 2021, when he had caught on with 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, that translates to a 5.97 ERA in 164 1/3 career innings for Watkins in the Show, as well as a 13.9% strikeout rate and 6.9% walk rate.
Working as a starter in 31 of his 40 MLB games and in 122 of his 149 career minor league games, Watkins projects as a depth arm at the Triple-A level. The Nationals are known to be looking for pitching this winter, and while the team will keep looking for more proven upgrades, depth arms like Watkins are a useful commodity to eat innings.
Forgot about that while negotiating with those KBO teams, eh Spenser?
Probably had no Major League interest and when the Nats called he jumped at the chance. You can’t take opportunities you don’t get and at the last minute he got one
Oh Spencer
Um. Who?
Sorry. If you want to hear about the usual overrated Yankees prospects, you can go elsewhere
You don’t even know who he is either. That’s what I thought. Shush
@Yanks2, I genuinely don’t understand why someone has to ask this on every minor article. If you actually don’t know and want to, read the article it explains. If you just want people to know you don’t know who this is, buddy that isn’t interesting enough to comment. If you don’t care to read articles about players you don’t know, you could’ve skipped this one based on the headline.
It should be an indication to the writers on here to stop posting such nonsense because unless it’s free agency time, most of the players mentioned are no names who no one knows about
@Yanks this is a site for people who really care about baseball transactions, they don’t want to only appeal to casual fans. That’s what makes MLBTR standout.
Did Spencer agree only if he was given veto power over future team personnel moves like the aging ohtani (worst contract of all time) demanded and got from the Dodgers?
l
Going to KBO = more money to support the baby.
Staying home = more time with the baby.
Work/fatherhood balance is tough. But you never get time back. He made the right cal.
Except the baby will have zero memory of the time he spends with him until hes at least around 4 years old. Same reason it doesn’t make sense to take babies on vacations/planes if there are other options. Babies need their mothers, they definitely dont need their fathers.
Weird comment. Tell Spenser’s wife they don’t need him around, see how that goes.
This is such an absurdly bad take that it has to be a joke.
@Trouts, you don’t understand child development. At all.
Lmao
It’s a factual comment. How many memories do you have from when you were an infant? It’s a rhetorical question since I’m not really interested in a response from you. And obviously help could be hired for when hes earning big money pitching in Japan for 1season. Plus he could visit. I think she would survive.
Arrogance and ignorance mixed together are either dangerous or amusing.
Please become amusing.
You don’t have kids do you Trout? Cause it’s not just about what you’re saying. At all.
Yall I think Trout may actually be a kid. The posts definitely read like a teenager who isn’t as smart as they think they are lol.
Just gonna assume you don’t have kids or know anyone with kids. Parents want to be around, and together, for those early years. Women sometimes go through a tough emotional time after giving birth, so having your spouse home can help with that. I’d be willing to bet he’d regret missing out on that first year or so being across the world.
Did you ever think that maybe it’s not about what the baby remembers, but what Spenser himself remembers? About the memories he makes, even if his daughter won’t remember him making them? About supporting his wife during a very emotional and tough time? Please, don’t ever have kids.
wow, by the sound of it you definitely don’t have a kid..or maybe you’re across the world somewhere, where your baby momma is STRUGGLING!
I remember going to a party with my father and coming home with my mother
Spenser for hire?
This guy had a fine half season a few years ago with the O’s. Strung together a few months of inspiring starts during a deep Baltimore rebuild. I’ll always like him for that. He’s the definition of AAAA depth, but I hope he gets another shot.
This is a sad acquisition for the Nats. Depth arm my a**.
Have to assume it’s just a minor league deal. Can’t imagine they’d cut someone else from the 40-man roster to sign this guy.
Why wouldn’t it be a minor league deal? Watkins is just hanging on at this point.
You don’t need to have remaining options to sign a minor league deal – that’s not what options are.
Maybe it’s time to stop being a Starter and move to the pen. Maybe he’s a decent 1 or 2 inning guy instead. BR projects he’ll have a 5.05 ERA this year.
Meh…