Fister: Astros' ceiling is 'as high as we want it to be'
Doug Fister officially became a member of the Houston Astros on Thursday when the club signed him to a one-year deal, and the veteran right-hander spoke about the opportunity to play with a young and up-and-coming club.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
"Our ceiling is as high as we want it to be," Fister told reporters at his introductory press conference. "We’re trying to win a World Series here."
Despite Fister being relegated to a bullpen role with the Washington Nationals after a tough 2015, manager A.J. Hinch views him as a starter, and believes "the key is that he makes us better."
ASTROS' PROJECTED 2016 ROTATION
| PLAYER | W-L | ERA | WHIP | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Keuchel | 20-8 | 2.48 | 1.02 | 216 |
| Collin McHugh | 19-7 | 3.89 | 1.28 | 171 |
| Mike Fiers | 7-10 | 3.69 | 1.25 | 180 |
| Scott Feldman | 5-5 | 3.90 | 1.31 | 61 |
| Doug Fister | 5-7 | 4.19 | 1.40 | 63 |
Jeff Luhnow was on the same page as Hinch, and said the addition of the right-hander, who didn't cost them a compensatory draft pick, gives them a better chance of achieving their World Series goal.
"Our goal is to win - and if you think about our team last year, we had such a strong rotation," the GM explained. "A championship-caliber team improves on strengths, and that's what we did today. Excited to have him here, add to a strong pitching staff, and look forward to his contributions in 2016."
The Astros surprised the baseball world last season when they launched themselves into first place in the AL West, holding the spot for a big chunk of the year before defeating the New York Yankees in the wild-card game.
Fister finished last season with a 5-7 record and a 4.19 ERA across 25 appearances - 15 of which were starts - but is just a year removed from a campaign that was headlined by a 16-6 record, 2.41 ERA, and 1.08 WHIP.