A month after they first drew a connection to free agent right-hander Doug Fister, the Mets are still considering signing the 33-year-old, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation. New York was among four teams to watch Fister throw last week, joining the Blue Jays, Diamondbacks and Angels, reports Cotillo, who adds that the Giants also took a recent look at him.
The Mets’ rotation is in far worse straits than it was when they were eyeing Fister in early April. Ace Noah Syndergaard has since landed on the disabled list with a partially torn right lat, and he’s unlikely to return until after the All-Star break. Meanwhile, Steven Matz and Seth Lugo still haven’t pitched this year as a result of elbow problems, and Matt Harvey, Robert Gsellman and Zack Wheeler have logged subpar results. In the Mets’ view, Harvey also hasn’t been a model member of the organization behind the scenes, evidenced by the three-day suspension he’s currently serving.
The other four teams targeting Fister have also seen their rotations deal with injuries. Two of Toronto’s top starters, Aaron Sanchez and J.A. Happ, are on the DL. Arizona lost Shelby Miller to a season-ending elbow injury last month, leaving it without an obvious solution to team with Zack Greinke, Robbie Ray, Taijuan Walker and Patrick Corbin. Los Angeles is without two of its starters, Garrett Richards and Tyler Skaggs, both of whom are on the DL. Lastly, San Francisco’s ace, Madison Bumgarner, will sit out until at least midsummer thanks to a dirt bike accident, and fellow starters Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Matt Moore, Matt Cain and Ty Blach have recorded mediocre to poor results in the early going.
Like the Giants’ starters, the soft-tossing Fister hasn’t been all that effective of late. Once a legitimate middle-of-the-rotation arm (if not more), Fister produced like a back-end type with the Nationals and Astros from 2015-16, posting a 4.48 ERA and a 4.68 FIP in 283 1/3 innings. Further, whether he signs a major league deal or a minor league pact, Fister will surely need some time to tune up at the lower levels before potentially contributing in the big leagues this season.
He actually makes a lot of sense for the DBacks. If he can get back to being the ground ball pitcher he was in Seattle and Detroit, he’d do very well at Chase Field
The angels make perfect sense for Fister, they need somebody in that rotation right now with Richards and Skaggs on the shelf.
Skaggs has been on the self more in his career than on the field. Richards has had 4 starts since the beginning of last season. It is way past do for the Angels to move on from both of them. I have been saying all season Fister was the best FA pitcher available. That is how weak the pitchers were this last off season.
Put a fork in him. He’s done. Been done
It would make sense for the cardinals too make a look at him too and maybe bring in a no 6 starter , since the pitching hasn’t looked so hot lately
I’d put Anaheim or The Angels instead of Los Angeles to easily discern from the Dodgers or the Angels.
If fister could come back to his 2014 form, he would help the angels a lot
If he could return to 2014 form, then he would have been signed by a team months ago. It isn’t an oversight that 30 GMs haven’t put a contract in front of him.
Think Linsecum 2.0. Fister will sign a minor league deal, tune up in AAA with 4-5 starts with great fanfare, then get both promoted and lit up in 24 hours.
I’d agree if the Dodgers were part of this story, but they’re not. All the teams chasing Fister are presented in the first paragraph.
Exactly. If the Yankees and Mets were both interested in Fister, then it would make sense to use the team name. Since it is only the Mets, then “New York” is appropriate, just as the author did.
And never, NEVER “Anaheim”.
If I’m a team that was supposed to contend but is instead off to a very disappointing start (Giants, Blue Jays), Doug Fister should be about the last person I would be calling. He is someone who could maybe help hold down the fort until people get healthy, but he is not going to help turn things around. Angels and Dbacks make more sense to me.
The Dbacks have a strong chance at winning the nl west, Angels could somehow be a sleeper team for a wildcard
I know. That’s why Fister makes more sense for them. He fits better as support for a team in contention than as potential alternative for a team off to a poor start, which I guess I didn’t explain clearly enough.
Colby Lewis is the better option
Fister I think has possibly a bigger upside but I agree that Lewis is the better option.
Fister was good in the first half last year. He could be a good option for 100 or so innings.
Man oh man, how the mighty Mets have fallen…
Oddly enough, if it wasn’t for a guy they were trying desperately to trade away over the off-season, Jay Bruce, they would be doing even much worse…
Every time the Mets are supposed to have a contending team year in and year out, and everytime they collect a group of special players, SOMETHING always happens to screw up their plans…I believe by now, Mets fans have to think they are just flat out cursed!!
How do you go from having such talents like Harvey, DeGrom, Wheeler, Matz, Syndergaard, Gsellman, Lugo, Montero, etc. and somehow manage to have a subpar rotation??
Pitchers break. A lot. That’s why building your team around a young rotation of hard throwing pitchers is a risky move.
Depends on what the asking price and term is for Fister. Over the past few years his whip is high, era climbing, walks and HR’s climbing. At this point in his career, he is likely a 3-4 but can pitch like a 2 if healthy and strong. All depends on price and term.
Doug Fister is not and will never be a number 3 pitcher again. He is a guy who will barely be able to make bad teams rotations
Fister won’t be ready to pitch right away. A team needing immediate help shouldn’t hire him. Plus, even though he hasn’t signed yet, he won’t come cheap.
Braves could use him send colon to the bullpen and give fister a shot cant do any worse than what colon has.
Wonder why the Mariners aren’t taking a look.
For the same reason the Mets, Blue Jays, Dbacks, and Angels all watched him in a showcase a week ago, all have the same rotation problems they had a week ago, yet none of those four has signed him, even been rumored to be in negotiations: He must not have impressed.
Consider the Angels are 2nd in the AL West, with 2 starters on the DL, but no word of Eppler making a move on Fister. The Mariners are without Felix for a few more weeks, and may see a rocky season from him, but Dipoto isn’t reported to be sniffing around Fister, either. It is possible the contract demands are too high, but my guess is he was stunningly below average in his showcase. Given his fairly rapid decline over the past two seasons, it is possible he is believed by the GMs to be finished.
Wow!!!!! Why would he ever want to go to the Mets???? Another article written with a NY bias. No one wants to go there.