HOUSTON -- The Astros bolstered their rotation on Thursday by adding free-agent right-hander Doug Fister on a one-year deal that will pay him a reported $7 million plus potential performances bonuses.
Fister, 31, spent the previous two seasons with the Washington Nationals, going 5-7 with a 4.19 ERA in 25 games (15 starts) last year. He went 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA in 2014 and finished eighth in the National League Cy Young Award voting.
He will join a rotation that is led by 2015 American League Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel (20-8, 2.48 ERA last year) and right-handers Collin McHugh (19-7, 3.89) and Lance McCullers Jr. (6-7, 3.22). Mike Fiers (7-10, 3.69) and veteran Scott Feldman (5-5, 3.90), who is coming off a shoulder injury, give the Astros plenty of rotation depth.Fister's deal could be worth as much as $12 million with performance bonuses, according to a report by MLB Daily Dish.Fister has started 167 games (180 total appearances) in his seven-year Major League career, posting a 65-63 record and a 3.42 ERA. In the past five seasons, he ranks 15th in the Majors in ERA (3.42) and has recorded an ERA below 3.70 in four of those five seasons.Fister's career 1.77 walks-per-nine-innings ratio is the best among all active Major League pitchers with at least 1,000 innings pitched.In the playoffs, Fister has a career 2.60 ERA in nine games (eight starts) with Detroit (2011-13) and Washington (2014), which ranks fourth among active Major League pitchers behind only Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner of the Giants and Colby Lewis of the Rangers.The addition of Fister gives the Astros 61 players in Major League Spring Training camp, including 39 on the 40-man roster.
Brian McTaggart/ MLB.com
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