Tigers sign Fiers to 1-year deal
The Detroit Tigers bolstered their rotation for 2018 by signing right-hander Mike Fiers to a one-year contract.
The deal is worth $6 million, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.
Fiers reportedly chose to take the one-year deal with Detroit over an apparent two-year offer from the Baltimore Orioles, according to Crasnick.
Fiers was non-tendered by the Houston Astros earlier this month following a rocky 2017 campaign for the world champions. In 29 appearances (28 starts) for the Astros, Fiers posted a 5.22 ERA (76 ERA+), 1.428 WHIP, and 146 strikeouts while walking a career-high 3.6 batters per nine innings and hitting an American League-high 13 batters. He did not pitch for the Astros in the postseason.
Fiers is going from first to worst next season, as he'll join a Tigers team that lost a league-worst 98 games in 2017. The 32-year-old should help a Tigers staff by eating innings in 2018, something he does quite well; indeed, Fiers has thrown at least 150 innings in each of his last three seasons.
TIGERS' PROJECTED 2018 ROTATION
| Pitcher | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/BB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Fulmer | 164.2 | 3.83 | 1.154 | 114/40 |
| Matt Boyd | 135.0 | 5.27 | 1.556 | 110/53 |
| Mike Fiers | 153.1 | 5.22 | 1.428 | 146/62 |
| Daniel Norris | 101.2 | 5.31 | 1.613 | 86/44 |
| Jordan Zimmermann | 160.0 | 6.08 | 1.550 | 103/44 |
In seven major-league seasons with the Astros and Milwaukee Brewers, Fiers owns a career record of 42-47 with a 4.15 ERA, 1.291 WHIP, and 688 strikeouts (8.5 per nine innings). He threw a 134-pitch no-hitter for the Astros in 2015.