Report: Fister seeking 2-year deal worth close to $22M
Despite receiving Cy Young votes as recently as two years ago, veteran right-hander Doug Fister is reportedly seeking a pretty modest contract as he attempts to rebound from a poor 2015 campaign.
Fister, who isn't attached to draft-pick compensation after being denied a qualifying offer from the Washington Nationals, is seeking a two-year deal worth around $22 million, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.
Although Fister, who turns 32 next month, endured the worst season of his seven-year career last summer - posting career-worsts in ERA (4.19) and WHIP (1.40) and was limited to 103 innings by an elbow injury - his asking price still seems low relative to the market. Since 2012, Fister has crafted a 3.38 ERA (120 ERA+) with more wins above replacement than all but 41 starters, but is still thought be seeking less money than virtually all middle-tier starters to land a new deal this winter.
| Name | WAR (2012-2015) | Contract | AAV | Draft Pick? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Samardzija | 12.2 | 5 years, $90M | $18M | Yes |
| Wei-Yin Chen | 9.5 | 5 years, $80M | $16M | Yes |
| Hisashi Iwakuma | 9.3 | 1 year, $12M | $12M | No (Re-signed) |
| Doug Fister | 9.2 | - | - | No |
| John Lackey | 8.4 | 2 years, $32M | $16M | Yes |
| Scott Kazmir | 8.2 | 3 years, $48M | $16M | No |
| Ian Kennedy | 7.5 | 5 years, $70M | $14M | Yes |
| Mike Leake | 7.4 | 5 years, $80M | $16M | No |
| J.A. Happ | 7.3 | 3 years, $36M | $12M | No |
| Marco Estrada | 6.9 | 2 years, $26M | $13M | No (Re-signed) |
Continued decline in Fister's fastball velocity, ground-ball output, and whiff rate in 2015 could be giving teams pause. His struggles upon returning from the disabled list in June were so bad, in fact, the Nationals banished him to the bullpen for the final two months of the season.
| Season | FB velo (MPH) | GB% | HR/9 | K% | SwStr% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 89.76 | 51% | 0.84 | 20.4% | 8.1% |
| 2013 | 89.88 | 54.3% | 0.6 | 18.1% | 8.2% |
| 2014 | 88.70 | 48.9% | 0.99 | 14.8% | 6.1% |
| 2015 | 86.89 | 44.6% | 1.22 | 14.1% | 5.2% |
Still, unburdened by draft-pick compensation, and with salary demands that would actually constitute a pay decrease from last season - he made $11.4 million as an arbitration-eligible player in 2015 - Fister may be gobbled up soon. Earlier this month, ESPN's Buster Olney reported multiple teams have made offers, with the Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles bandied about as potential suitors.