Williams grateful for chance to start full-time for Nats

On the heels of what he termed a “unique year” with the Mets, Trevor Williams knew different teams would look at him in different ways this winter.

Having had success as a swingman in New York, bouncing back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen for a club that made the postseason, the 30-year-old right-hander might appeal to other organizations who value that kind of versatility.

Williams, though, still believed he could be an effective full-time starter, returning to the role he held with the Pirates from 2017-20. And the opportunity to return to that role shaped his approach to free agency, which ultimately landed him in Washington.

“It was a decision for my career: Do I want to follow down that path? Do I want to be a swing guy for the rest of my career? Or do I want to prove again that I can be a serviceable starter?” he said Monday during an introductory Zoom conference with Nationals reporters. “And because I’ve shown both in the past, I preferred starting.”

It appears the Nationals will meet his preference. Williams, who agreed a two-year, $13 million deal Friday, said he was told he’ll be a member of the rotation in 2023.

“If the Nationals asked me to a swingman, I know that I could do it,” he said. “If the Nationals are telling me to be in the rotation, I know that I can do it. So, I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out, getting that consistent (work every) five days. Posting up for a team is something I take great pride in. Filling innings and being able to be a source of some stability within a rotation is something I take pride in.”

The Nats could certainly use it.

Owners of the majors’ worst rotation this season, they return very few sure things next season. Though they would love to count on a young trio of MacKenzie Gore, Cade Cavalli and Josiah Gray to lead the way for years to come, the first two dealt with injuries this season and the latter dealt with inconsistent performances in his first full big league campaign.

Patrick Corbin obviously has proven he can make 30 starts a year, but the left-hander statistically was the worst starter in the big leagues in 2022 and can’t be considered a lock to pitch effectively. Stephen Strasburg, meanwhile, remains a giant question mark in his longstanding (and mostly futile) attempt to return from thoracic outlet surgery.

So now enters Williams, who produced a 3.21 ERA and 1.227 WHIP this season in New York but totaled only 89 2/3 innings because of his role. A member of the rotation early in the year, he shifted to the bullpen during the summer once others returned from injury.

There may have been no more valuable swingman in baseball this season, and Mets fans clearly were upset to lose him.

“But as far as a preference goes, I like preparing for my one day every five days,” Williams said. “I love watching the other starting pitchers from the side and not from the bullpen. I love being in a rotation and posting up for those five guys. It’s something I’ve always loved to do. I didn’t like preparing for series last season and not being able to pitch. So for me … every five days, knowing it is my day, is something I look forward to.”

If he does spend the entire season in the rotation, Williams would be in line for a significant increase in workload. The Nationals’ cautious approach building up young pitchers’ innings totals is well established, but the concern may not be there with this veteran, who averaged 156 innings pitched for the Pirates from 2017-19.

Williams has proven quite durable; his only stint on the injured list the last three seasons was necessitated by appendicitis, not any orthopedic issue.

“Am I concerned about the workload? No,” he said. “I think it would be more significant of a jump if I was going from like 15 innings to 180 innings. The way my body has treated me well the last few years, I know that I’m prepared to take on that bulk and be healthy for that.”

After getting a taste of a pennant race this season – though he wasn’t on the Mets’ active roster for their three-game Wild Card Series against the Padres – Williams might have been tempted to sign with a surefire contender this winter.

In the end, the chance to return to a full-time starting role – and the security of a two-year contract – was too good to pass up.

“I’m not a trophy fish,” he said, revealing an acute sense of self-awareness. “I’m not someone who might have a choice where to go and you have 15-20 teams that want your services. I was really thankful for this opportunity, for them to tell me: ‘We want you to post up.’ That was something I really valued.”