quality starting pitcher for
The Detroit Tigers traded a high-quality starting pitcher for a mediocre package of players and prospects from the Washington Nationals. . Numbers Game looks at the Nationals acquisition of Doug Fister. The Nationals Get: RHP Doug Fister. Fister, 29, has been a highly-effective, if underrated, pitcher for the last three seasons. While his record in that span is merely 35-32, Fister has a 3.30 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. Early in his career, Fister wasnt much of a strikeout pitcher, relying on his sinker to generate groundball outs, striking out 5.0 per nine innings over his first two seasons. However, Fister got much better as a strikeout pitcher upon arriving in Detroit, throwing significantly more breaking balls. For example, in his second major league season, with Seattle, Fister threw either a slider or curve on 18.7% of his pitches. Over the last three years, that has increased from 32.6% to 33.6% to 34.6% last season. So, even with lacklustre velocity, including a fastball that averages 88.6 MPH, Fister has seen his strikeout numbers climb. In 70 games with the Tigers, Fister has whiffed 7.2 batters per nine innings, which isnt dominant, but is dramatically better than his first couple of seasons with the Mariners. All told, Fister has a fWAR of 13.3 over the last three seasons, which ranks ninth among starting pitchers in that span. Seriously, ninth! What were indicating here is that, while he may not have the name recognition, Doug Fister is a very good starting pitcher. Fister hasnt faced a lot of National League competition, making five career Inter-League starts, but has a 2.23 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings, an indication (in a very small sample) that the move to the NL shouldnt pose a problem. Fister, who made $4-million in 2013, is arbitration-eligible for the next couple seasons, but is ultimately very affordable for a starting pitcher is of his calibre. Joining a Washington Nationals rotation that already includes Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann and Gio Gonzalez makes it easy for Fister to come in and perform, without any pressure to be the staff ace. Theres a whole lot to like about this deal for the Nationals. Its the kind of trade that could put them over the top as contenders next season. The Tigers Get: INF Steve Lombardozzi, LHP Robbie Ray and LHP Ian Krol. Lombardozzi is a 25-year-old utility player who has played at least 20 games at second base, third base and left field in the course of his two-plus major league seasons. He doesnt hit for power (.342 career slugging percentage) and doesnt get on base (.297 career on-base percentage) so, without notable offensive improvement, hes no more than a fill-in at the major league level. Ray, a 22-year-old southpaw, was a 12th-round pick of the Nationals in 2010. Splitting the 2013 season between High-A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg, Ray was 11-5 with a 3.36 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, striking out 160 in 142 innings. He could develop into a major league starting pitcher, but hes not there yet and that means there is risk in his projection. Krol, 22, is a lefthanded reliever who pitched 32 games for the Nationals last season, posting a 3.95 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 27 1/3 innings, striking out 22 and walking eight. Those are respectable enough numbers and, given his age, its fair to expect improvement, but lefthanded relievers have a limited impact on the game as a whole. Krols presence should allow Drew Smyly to move into the Tigers rotation, taking Fisters place. Smyly was excellent in relief last season, posting a 2.39 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, with 81 strikeouts in 76 innings. Even if Smyly is a wonderful addition to the Tigers starting rotation, that wont justify the relative pittance that Detroit received in return for Fister. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. . "Ive still got it," Seattles ace said with a sly grin. Riding that fastball carrying a little more zip, Hernandez took a shutout bid into the ninth inning as the Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-1 on Wednesday night. On the verge of a brilliant shutout and first complete game since Aug. . Brandon Morrow allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning.It appears Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan kiboshed a potential deal between the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks. According to the New York Daily News, Dolan stepped in to veto a trade that would have sent Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry to the Knicks in exchange for Raymond Felton and Metta World Peace plus Iman Shumpert or Tim Hardaway Jr. or a 2018 first-round pick. While the Raptors preferred the first round pick, Dolan, who worked with Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri to acquire Carmelo Anthony from Denver when Ujiri was with the Nuggets, had second thoughts on completing the deal. &"Dolan didnt want to get fleeced again by Masai," was how one Knicks source put it to the Daily News. . "They had a deal ready." The Knicks were prepared to make the deal on Wednesday night but Dolan stepped in on Thursday. "There are two problems," the source said. "Dolan didnt like that someone from his group leaked it to the media, and the other problem is the Knicks seem to have too many (people) involved with making decisions." Speculation now revolves around Lowry heading to the Brooklyn Nets instead, the same team that was pursuing Anthony when the Knicks landed him. ' ' '