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Houston Astros: Is Doug Fister an Option for the Rotation?

By Cody Poage |
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Is Doug Fister an Option for the Rotation?

Sep 14, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Doug Fister (33) throws a pitch during the eleventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Nationals defeated the Phillies, 8-7 in 11 innings. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Not only did free agency begin at 10:59 PM on Friday, it was the deadline to extend qualifying offers to a team’s own free agents. But not all players were afforded the same opportunity. That is the case with veteran starting pitcher Doug Fister, who was most recently with the Washington Nationals in 2015.

Would adding the right-hander make sense for the Houston Astros? Yes, since he now doesn’t cost the Astros a draft pick and the team may need another veteran presence if Scott Kazmir isn’t retained for 2016. And it makes more sense considering that the Astros are unlikely to go after any of the consensus top starting pitchers on the open market such as Zack Greinke, Johnny Cueto, or Jordan Zimmermann.

Why Sign Fister?

Fister, in theory, would be another proven starter in Houston’s rotation, along with Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh, Lance McCullers, and Mike Fiers. His addition would solidify what is arguably the Astros greatest strength, especially if he can recapture anything similar to his 2014 form where he went 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA and 3.93 FIP in 25 starts. Of course Fister struggled in 2015, going 5-7 with a 4.19 ERA and 4.55 FIP.

But even amid his 2015 struggles, the fact remains that he could be a reasonable bargain for a fourth or fifth starter in a deep rotation. While his peripheral stats enforce the fact that he often struggled in 2015 (4.47 SIERA), historically Fister has been a better pitcher (3.62 average SIERA from 2012-14). His .310 BABIP seems to indicate that bad luck may have been in play more often than not. The odds are that Fister is being viewed as one of the best buy-low candidates in this year’s free agent class.

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Not to mention that he may be a decent fit at Minute Maid Park when taking his ground ball percentages into consideration. Before last season Fister historically had at least a 48.9 GB% since 2012. Don’t forget that the Astros did rank 5th in total team GB%, 47.3%, behind only the Pirates, Dodgers, Cardinals, and Rockies. Ground ball percentage seems to be one of the statistics that the Astros highly value when constructing their pitching staff. Plus let Fister work with Astros pitching coach Brent Strom then good things are bound to happen.

Next: Continue Reading...Why say no to Fister

Why say no to Fister

May 3, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Washington Nationals manager Matt Williams (9) takes Washington Nationals pitcher Doug Fister (58) and replaces him with Washington Nationals pitcher Tanner Roark (57) (not pictured) during the 7th inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

The probably soon-to-be-former National isn’t known for his overwhelming stuff. Fister’s fastball averages roughly around 86 MPH and relies on using his other pitches in conjunction with his fastball to get hitters out. And if he has trouble locating his pitches then expect more of the same issues from 2015 spilling over into 2016.

Houston’s front office also may not feel the need to add another starter however with the plethora of arms waiting in the minors. Between Mark Appel, Vincent Velasquez, Michael Feliz, and Dan Straily, there is no shortage of arms the organization can turn to fill in a void in the rotation. It all depends on if the Astros feel confident that they are ready for the job.

That is also not including veteran right-hander Scott Feldman, who is scheduled to be ready for spring training after his sprained right shoulder heals. Let’s not forget that the Astros have $8 million invested into Feldman for 2016 and may feel signing Fister is a redundant move.

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But if the Astros medical staff isn’t comfortable with Feldman’s progress as the winter unfolds than it is possible that they will be willing to pay for Fister, who shouldn’t demand anything more than a short-term contract as a 31-year old pitcher coming off a down season.

As we all know depending on unproven and rehabbing pitchers are sometimes a gamble. There isn’t a guarantee. But as the old saying goes “you can never have enough pitching.” This may ring true for general manager Jeff Luhnow as he goes about the 2016 Astros construction. The benefits for both sides are there: Fister may use 2016 to rebuild his value for another shot at free agency in the next year while the Astros front office can solidify the rotation while buying time for their top pitching prospects to be eased into the major league roster.

Next: Colby Rasmus: The Houston Astros Thank You But Hope You Don’t Return

**Statistics are provided by Fangraphs.com**

**Contract information is provided by SportTrac.com**

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