With new deal secured, Williams looks to build off last year's success

As he walked out of Nationals Park following his team’s Sept. 29 season finale, Trevor Williams made sure to soak it all in and say some goodbyes. Just in case this was his final day as a member of the team.

“I was hopeful that I would come back. I was really hopeful,” he said. “I really loved it there. My family loved it in D.C. and Virginia, and I was hopeful we’d come back. But it was also sad, because you never know what could happen in free agency. I’m thankful that I was able to sign back and be here for at least another two years.”

Williams indeed is back for at least two more years, having now officially signed a new $14 million contract with the Nats that runs through the 2026 season. Speaking with reporters via a Zoom conference Thursday, the veteran right-hander expressed gratitude the team wanted him back, especially in his preferred role.

Having already signed Michael Soroka to a $9 million deal two weeks ago, the Nationals might not have had a guaranteed rotation spot for Williams anymore. There’s long been thoughts of using him as a swingman, knowing he’s had success as a long reliever and spot starter in the past. But when asked Thursday what he’s been told about his role heading into 2025, Williams made it clear he’s been assured of a spot in the rotation.

“I’ll be a starter,” he said. “And then we’re keeping the door open for second base/shortstop, too. But definitely starting pitcher.”

With Luis Garcia Jr. and CJ Abrams firmly set as the team’s middle infield for the present and future, Williams will have to put his (clearly in jest) dream of becoming a position player on hold for now. His immediate task: Continue to pitch as effectively as he did last season while also keeping himself healthy for six full months.

After a ragged 2023 that saw him finish with a 5.55 ERA and league-leading 34 homers surrendered, Williams bounced back in a big way in 2024. With a new plan of attack formulated with pitching coaches Jim Hickey and Sean Doolittle, he threw fewer four-seam fastballs, turned his curveball into a more effective sweeper and did everything he could to keep the ball down in the zone at all times.

The results were overwhelmingly positive: a 2.03 ERA, 1.035 WHIP and only three homers allowed in 13 starts. Williams believes he can continue to have success with that approach, recognizing he also can’t just rest on his laurels and assume everything will go so well again.

“There were some things I did last year that I was successful with, and you hope that change … can continue that success,” he said. “But the league will make adjustments back. Especially now pitching in the same division again, I’m going to see a lot of those same hitters and same lineups. I’m taking what I had success with last year, bringing it to this year and seeing what works.”

Williams also knows he needs to prove he can not only pitch well but pitch more than he did last season. Two months in, he felt soreness in his elbow. He wound up on the injured list for 3 1/2 months with a flexor muscle strain, able to return only in time to make two token starts in late September to prove he was healthy again.

Williams, who turns 33 in April, believes he learned some things during his time on the shelf that can help him avoid more arm troubles in 2025.

“Unfortunately, the injury happened,” he said. “But it made me open my eyes. Maybe I wasn’t strong enough in certain positions. Maybe my delivery wasn’t as clean as it could’ve been. The best ability any player can have is availability. If I’m pitching and it’s 30 starts, that’s very valuable to a team. And 30 starts at my best is very valuable to a team. I’ve done everything I can this offseason to put myself in the best position.”