Potential Pinstripes: Doug Fister
It
was not long ago I remember Doug Fister shutting down the Yankees in the fifth
game of the 2011 Divisional Series. Fister’s outing seemed like it was the
coming out party for the tall, lanky right-hander from California. I also remember being shocked when the Tigers
declared him on the trading block following the 2013 season, in which Fister
finished with a 3.67 ERA and shined throughout the postseason. Detroit had
decided to prioritize other pitchers ahead of the 27 year-old Fister and concluded
they would not be able to sign him long term once his contract expired. It seemed too good to be true that the Yankees
had a chance to land a young impact starter on the rise, without shelling out a
mega deal. Well, due to the drained farm system we were accustomed to at the
time, it was. Fister was soon shipped off to the Washington Nationals.
In
2014, Fister delivered for the Nationals. Although he started the year on the
DL, Fister finished with 164 IP, 1.08 WHIP, and a 2.41 ERA. In 2015, with the
signing of flame thrower Max Scherzer and team mainstays Stephen Strasburg and
Gio Gonzalez, the Nationals boasted possibly the best rotation in all of
baseball. This notion quickly dissolved, at least in Fister’s case, as he appeared
in only 25 games, compiling a 5-7 win-loss record and a 4.19 ERA. He yet again
spent extended time on the DL and severely hurt his case for a free agent payday.
After signing a one-year deal with the Houston Astros, 2016 got off to a poor
start for Fister, as he pitched to nearly an ERA of six over the first month of
the season. Things got better from there though, as he dropped his ERA to 3.60
by the end of August. A very poor last month of the season left Fister with a
very mediocre stat line of 12-13 W-L/4.64 ERA/ 1.425 WHIP.
Fast-forward
nearly six years from Fister’s performance in the divisional series versus the
Yanks, and the right-hander is unemployed and looking for a job. Up and down
performance, along with health concerns has created a cloud over Fister, and
forced general managers to reconsider signing the 32 year old. As we’ve seen in
the past, this could be an opportunity for Brian Cashman to turn other’s
garbage into Yankees treasure. While injury is always a looming concern, Fister
is coming off his healthiest season in years. His pitching style is also ideal
for the hitter friendly confines of the “new” Yankee stadium. His career 48%
ground ball ratio puts him in or about the top 50 pitchers in that category
year in and year out. While his strikeout ratio has been pretty consistent
throughout his career, his walks per 9 has risen slightly over the past 3
years. You can chalk the decline up to his age, but injury may play a large
part in his seemingly worse control. As I stated earlier, last season was the
first season he was able to avoid major DL stints since 2013. His rocky last
month could be due to fatigue stemming from not completing a full season in
nearly 3 years.
It’s
also hard to ignore Fister’s postseason statistics. His 2.60 postseason ERA and
history of winning important postseason starts could be a great asset if the
2017 Yankees are able to make a playoff run. Back in 2011, Fister was the young
gun in a sea of veterans immersed in a battle for the pennant. If the Yankees
take a flier on Fister in 2017, this time around he could be the veteran presence
bringing experience to a rotation that lacks an answer for a consistent backend
starter.
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