Sox claim Doug Fister
- Thread starter RedOctober3829
- Start date
At the very least, he might be an upgrade from Velazquez. If they're really really really lucky, he might regain some of the form he showed in Detroit and Washington.
Haven't heard that name in a while. 5th starter insurance?
If he opted out of his deal with the Angels and signed here, I guess the assumption is that he'll have a greater chance to stick on the ML roster. He's made 3 starts at AAA this year. 15.2 IP, 10k/5BB and given up a little over a hit an inning. That's a pretty small sample size but at least he's not walking guys in AAA.
Last year he started 32 games- 180 innings and put up a 4.64 ERA (ERA+ 84).
Quite a drop off from his 2014 ERA+ of 155
If he opted out of his deal with the Angels and signed here, I guess the assumption is that he'll have a greater chance to stick on the ML roster. He's made 3 starts at AAA this year. 15.2 IP, 10k/5BB and given up a little over a hit an inning. That's a pretty small sample size but at least he's not walking guys in AAA.
Last year he started 32 games- 180 innings and put up a 4.64 ERA (ERA+ 84).
Quite a drop off from his 2014 ERA+ of 155
Sample size and all that, but also worse than the guy people seem to hope he replaces.
At the rate we're losing 5th/6th/7th starters, just getting depth is probably as important as the potential for an improvement.
Agreed that Velazquez' numbers in 49 innings of AAA (35k/8BB 1.29 ERA) would seem to be a better option. He's done pretty well his last two outings.
This doesn't matter. We'll discuss it until kingdom come that "he never should have signed with the Sox if . . ." anyway
Even if he's just a mediocre innings eater, this is a great pickup. If he's a total gascan, he's easily cut. Can't hate this pick up. He was really good not too long ago. Maybe we'll luck out.
My first instinct here was to look up how much $$$ of a contract gone south had we just picked up, since it wasn't all that long ago that people were throwing around some pretty solid projection #'s there .
Money is nothing though. Not a bad flyer all things considered imo.
I'm reading that the Sox are paying him a pro rated portion of his $1.75M salary. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/06/angels-release-doug-fister.html.
I'm surprised the Os didn't claim him but knowing Angelos, they were probably trying to get him to clear waivers and save a couple of bucks.
Geez.... I'd prefer the Sox just go with the 5 man they have until the AS Break and have Fister start in AAA in the bullpen first. Is that even possible?
I guess Valazquez already gets bumped back down then, hmm?
I guess Valazquez already gets bumped back down then, hmm?
Perhaps, perhaps not.
Fister's success at the MLB has always appeared associated with his groundball frequency. He has never been a high strikeout guy, even when he was with the tigers.
I wonder if DD saw that %66 GB Fister has this year (in dramatically limited AAA innings), and decided that a flier on Fister made sense.
According to Buster Olney, the O's did have interest. That they didn't claim him might make you dead on in your assessment of Angelos.
If we're really just talking about one spot start until Rodriguez gets back, that's fine. But taking a look at his Brooks Baseball player card, I'm not optimistic. When he was last good, he threw a fair bit harder than he does now.
If he's throwing 89, striking out 6 per 9 and walking 3, I just don't see how that doesn't add up to bad results.
If he's throwing 89, striking out 6 per 9 and walking 3, I just don't see how that doesn't add up to bad results.
I remember Fister with the Mariners. He used to get his outs with offspeed stuff. Doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Scanning his Fangraphs page, it looks like his velocities haven't changed much. Any reason why his junkball repertoire has stopped working? Is it the control? Seems like he walks a lot more guys than he used to.
That, and even though he was never a big K guy, his Ks have dropped off just a bit which is probably a big deal when working with marginal stuff to begin with. His rate dropping into the 5s seems to have coincided with his decline.
In this spirit, the 2011 Fister-Furbush trade is perhaps the greatest trade in American sports history.
Can they finally pull the plug on this experiment and give his innings back to Velázquez? This guy is beyond cooked.
Barring an injury in the next few days, this is definitely his last start for the Red Sox. There's a better than good chance that if they make a deal for a reliever, he's the corresponding move to make room on the roster.
But I think for the next few days, he's safe just because of all the pitchers they've had to move up and down the shuttle the last few days. Pretty sure the only 40-man roster pitchers who are eligible to be called up right now are Ysla and Ramirez. The rest are either within their 10-day restricted period after being sent down or on the DL and ineligible to return for at least a few more days.
The Sox are carrying 13 pitchers right now, though. That may have made sense in the short term, but they are surely going back to 12 as soon as they can.
My guess is that Fister will be DFAed today so that the Sox can bring another bat on the road trip. (Brentz maybe?)
My guess is that Fister will be DFAed today so that the Sox can bring another bat on the road trip. (Brentz maybe?)
If they do it for a hitter, they run into the same problem as they do with the pitchers. Unless they select someone from off the 40-man, Brentz is pretty much the only hitter they can call up. Lin and Travis aren't eligible and Swihart is on the DL.
edit: forgot about Selsky. He's the other option.
Yes, but having played ~70 innings in five days, they might wait a day or two more before swapping the "extra" pitcher for a hitter.
Fister might be DFA'ed, but it'll almost surely be Ysla or Ramirez for another extra inning emergency.
I think the only variable is when Velazquez is good to go 3 innings. If its tomorrow, then they dont need another pitcher.
Velazquez is in Pawtucket and ineligible to come back until next Friday (28th) unless someone goes on the DL.
But Doug Fister wouldn't be able pitch again until Tuesday, regardless. What's the point in keeping him on the roster for "a day or two"?
He wouldn't be able to start until Tuesday (5 days rest). No reason he can't relieve for an inning or two on Saturday or Sunday if needed. It would be a day he'd normally throw a bullpen session anyway, so he can do it in a game instead.
There's also the long shot chance that a repeat of last Saturday occurs and a starter is needed for extra inning long relief tomorrow or Saturday. Fister's presence could allow them to use ERod for that purpose while slotting Fister in on Monday or Tuesday so no one else is working on short rest.
When the alternatives are Ysla or Ramirez, Fister isn't the worst guy to keep around a couple extra days.
Cross posting from the game thread, but why did Fister pitch today given that Sale could have gone on 4 days rest?
Cross-posting my answer from the game thread
http://www.providencejournal.com/sports/20170720/red-sox-will-look-to-give-chris-sale-extra-day-of-rest-when-possible-over-second-half
Grady Little justifiably is a punching bag, but giving Pedro an extra day of rest when he could was a great idea.
