Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports that at least five teams have looked at free agent right-hander Doug Fister over the last week. Fister held a pitching showcase for interested teams last Thursday, which was attended by the Mets, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks and Angels. Per Cotillo, the Mets are considering inking Fister to a major league contract, though a clear frontrunner has yet to emerge for the right-hander’s services.
Fister, 33, is coming off of an unsuccessful stint with the Astros. He appeared to have made a full recovery after dealing with forearm tightness and shoulder issues in 2014-15, and signed a one-year, $7 million contract with Houston for the 2016 season. His results off the mound weren’t quite up to par, however, returning a career-worst 4.64 ERA, 3.1 BB/9 and 5.7 SO/9 over 180 1/3 innings with the club.
The potential signing comes at a fortuitous moment for the Mets, whose rotation has taken a hit after losing Noah Syndergaard to a lat injury, losing Seth Lugo to a torn UCL, benching Matt Harvey for an undisclosed team policy violation and waiting out Steven Matz‘s lengthy recovery from left elbow inflammation.
They’re not the only team looking to patch holes, however. The Blue Jays and Angels’ rotations rank among the bottom 10 teams in the majors, while the Giants (another team to take a flyer on Fister last week) are struggling to keep their heads above water after losing Madison Bumgarner to a motorbike injury last month. The Diamondbacks are by far the most successful of Fister’s suitors, though Cotillo points out that they’re currently operating without right-hander Shelby Miller and could use the extra depth.
