Konnor Pilkington is headed back to familiar territory. The Washington Nationals inked the lefty to a minor league deal Tuesday after the Detroit Tigers cut him loose earlier this month. He’ll report to Triple-A Rochester, which is basically his home base at this point.
This isn’t some flashy signing. Pilkington’s numbers in Detroit this season were rough — a 5.40 ERA over 33.1 innings, with 30 strikeouts but 28 walks. That walk rate, 17.6%, is brutal. His stuff hasn’t been the same either; his fastball averaged just 92.1 mph this year after sitting in the 94-95 range during 2024. Something’s off.
But here’s the thing. Washington knows him. Last season Pilkington made 32 relief appearances for the Nationals and put up a 4.45 ERA over 28.1 innings. He struck out 28% of batters he faced, which is legit. The problem was always the walks — 14% then, worse now. The Nationals pulled him off the 40-man roster over the winter, and he bounced to Detroit. Now he’s back.
Three Teams in Two Years
Pilkington’s MLB career actually started in Cleveland back in 2022. He threw 58 innings as a rookie with a 3.88 ERA, which looked promising. Then 2023 came and he barely pitched in the majors — just two innings total. He spent time with Arizona’s system without getting called up, then resurfaced with Washington in 2024. For his whole big-league career, across the Guardians and Nationals, he owns a 3.97 ERA in 88.1 innings. That’s not bad. But the command issues are the thing holding him back.
Gott’s Exit
Meanwhile, the Nationals released veteran righty Trevor Gott from his own minor league deal. Gott had a 3.55 ERA in 33 innings for Rochester this season. He’s 33 and hasn’t thrown a pitch in the majors since 2022. Over 255 MLB appearances, he’s got a 4.65 career ERA. It’s not impossible he catches on somewhere else, but the window’s getting tight.
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