Doug Fister Opts out of Minor League Deal with Los Angeles Angels
By David Hill
Considering the number of pitching injuries around the game, it was a bit of a surprise that Doug Fister remained unsigned until nearly the end of May. He has another chance at free agency, as he opted out of his minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels.
Seemingly every day, another two or three pitchers end up on the disabled list. Perhaps this is a side effect of the new ten day minimum stay, but it certainly feels as though there have been a rash of pitching injuries this season. These injuries just further illustrate the importance of having enough pitching depth in the minors.
Yet, as injuries piled up at the beginning of the season, several surprising names were still available in free agency. One of those options was Doug Fister, who remained unsigned until May 20. At that point, he agreed to a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels, with an opt out date of June 21st should he not be added to the major league roster.
Given the Angels own pitching issues, it seemed to be a good landing spot for Fister. However, after a decent start to his tenure in the organization, Fister just did not show much. He had a 4.02 ERA and a 1.340 WHiP in his 15.2 innings at Salt Lake, issuing five walks while striking out ten. Those numbers simply were not going to get Fister that desired callup to the majors.
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However, given the plethora of pitching issues throughout the league. it was not a surprise that Fister chose to exercise his opt out clause. As such, Fister finds himself on waivers, where he could be claimed by another team. However, given that he is owed the remaining amount of the $1.75 Million contract that he signed, chances are he will once again hit free agency.
There, even with those underwhelming minor league numbers, Fister could find himself on a major league roster. While he may not be the All Star caliber arm he once was, Fister could be a boost to the back end of a depleted rotation. He also showed that he was healthy last season, making all 32 of his starts after two injury plagued years.
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Doug Fister may well get another major league spot, but it will not be with the Los Angeles Angels.