Nationals acquire Doug Fister from Tigers

[Smithian]

(Image removed from quote.)

[Smithian]

[PC]

David Cameron ‏@DCameronFG 46m

Best rotation in baseball now in WAS, not DET. RT @fangraphs: FanGraphs: Nationals Steal Doug Fister From Tigers http://bit.ly/1eJo4gJ

[UMDNats]

That'll do, Rizzo.



(Smithian reminded me this gif needs to be posted more.)

[Smithian]

David Cameron ‏@DCameronFG 46m

Best rotation in baseball now in WAS, not DET. RT @fangraphs: FanGraphs: Nationals Steal Doug Fister From Tigers http://bit.ly/1eJo4gJ

[Lintyfresh85]

My favorite tweet so far...

@CitsofNatstown

I wonder how many people talking up Lombo have actually watched him play.

[mimontero88]

Steal for us for sure.  Can't wait to see the LoD turn on it and talk about how it was as bad as they said the Haren deal was every start. 

Just thought I'd stop in and stir the pot.   

[Smithian]

Definitely glad Nats didn't break the farm for Price or another elite pitcher. This move moves the Nats rotation back up to best in baseball without hurting offense. Now the Nats have plenty of time to make adjustments with the bats. Hope to see Kobernus or Walter take Lombo's spot

[mitlen]

What a day !    We get Fister and Chief fixes the smileys.   Oh happy day   ....

[Nathan]

We gave up what?

[Displaced Bucco]

True, maybe I've developed an irrational dislike for Espinosa.

All dislike for Espinosa is rational.  I mean the player, not the person, he seems like he's a good guy.

[varoadking]

Just thought I'd stop in and stir the pot.   

Yeah...take it to the SSS thread...

[Lintyfresh85]

Steal for us for sure.  Can't wait to see the LoD turn on it and talk about how it was as bad as they said the Haren deal was every start. 

Just thought I'd stop in and stir the pot.   

Except the LoD only wants to win. So... they'd be happy with an upgrade.

[Hogie]

I'm just going to assume that somewhere out there, there's a Tigers board where their thread on this trade is just nothing but hundreds of people posting the Jags fan gif.

[imref]

[mimontero88]

Except the LoD only wants to win. So... they'd be happy with an upgrade.

They also have a tendency to like personnel moves when they happen then turn on them rather violently when they don't work over short-term intervals.  But hey, I'm just busting balls.  Glad you guys missed me too

[Smithian]

I'm just going to assume that somewhere out there, there's a Tigers board where their thread on this trade is just nothing but hundreds of people posting the Jags fan gif.

Post of the Day

[varoadking]

Glad you guys missed me too

Were you gone?  Hadn't noticed...

[UMDNats]

I'm just going to assume that somewhere out there, there's a Tigers board where their thread on this trade is just nothing but hundreds of people posting the Jags fan gif.

I wholeheartedly support this thread just becoming gifs

[PC]

Keith Law weighs in:

Tigers don't get enough for Doug Fister

The Washington Nationals seemed like a good bet to go after an undervalued starter for the back of their rotation -- I guessed Brett Anderson, who was originally drafted by Mike Rizzo in Arizona, in a post earlier on Monday -- and they did just that, sending some quantity -- infielder Steve Lombardozzi and lefties Ian Krol and Robbie Ray -- to the Detroit Tigers for Doug Fister, who'll give Washington one of the best rotations in either league for 2014.

Detroit may fill some minor holes, but I don't think they got full value back given the market for starters right now and how effective Fister has been the last two seasons.

The Nats get Fister for the next two years before he hits free agency, coinciding nicely with their main window of contention, as Jordan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond, and Tyler Clippard are all scheduled to hit free agency after 2015 as well. Fister has been quietly effective since Detroit acquired him from Seattle for the baseball equivalent of a wad of used chewing tobacco in 2011, shifting his pitch mix to throw more two-seamers and generate more ground balls; that, combined with plus-plus control, means he can be extremely valuable (averaging more than 4 WAR over the last three seasons) without big velocity.

He's been fairly durable, with one significant injury in those three seasons, a costochondral (cartilage connecting the ribs to the sternum) strain, meaning he's had no arm trouble. The Nationals could be looking at 400-plus innings from him over these two years and 9 WAR, all for maybe $18-20 million total if he just goes through arbitration twice.

Fister's arrival gives the Nationals a potential surplus in the rotation, with Tanner Roark, Taylor Jordan, and the injured Ross Detwiler all candidates for the fifth spot; Detwiler could move to relief, as the Nationals just traded Ian Krol, the only left-handed reliever in their bullpen, or prospect Sammy Solis could ease into the majors in a relief role to fill that void. They don't have any obvious needs at this point other than that left-hander in the pen, which as needs go is a minor one. This is a stacked team if they can stay healthy.

I can't believe the Tigers couldn't get more total value than this for Fister, who is easily a top 25-30 overall starter in the game; they may have traded more to fill needs than to maximize their return. Krol flourished after a shift to the bullpen, going from 86-89 mph as a starter to 92-95 in relief, with an above-average changeup and fringy curveball; he's underutilized in a lefty specialist role but I like him as a potential seventh- or eighth-inning guy given more time to adjust to short relief.

Lombardozzi is a backup second baseman, lacking the stick to play there every day, and has played just 22 games in pro ball at shortstop, meaning it's unclear whether he can even be a utility infielder in the era of the four-man bench.

Ray is the prospect, a potential back-end starter who shows four pitches but has nothing plus, although there's some upside here if the Tigers can get him to lengthen his stride. His sharpest pitch is his spike curveball, but like most pitches of that type it usually ends up out of the zone, and his changeup is fringy enough that he's had trouble finishing off right-handed hitters. He's a project, a guy with some value but who could use some mechanical adjustments.

Drew Smyly, who was superb in relief for Detroit in 2013, takes Fister's spot in the rotation but won't be able to match that production.

A lefty reliever, a backup at second, and a non-top 100 prospect is just not a good return for two years of one of the top 30 starters in baseball.

[Smithian]

I wholeheartedly support this thread just becoming gifs

[mimontero88]

On a more serious note, the only potential downside I see to this trade (should emphasize it does nothing to take away from how spectacularly Rizzo just freaked Detroit) would be that we lost a piece where we were already shallow (the bench).  Plenty of time to sign bench pieces but it's never too early to speculate on who replaces the production and a switch-hitting utility player isn't the easiest thing in the world to replace.

Gotta think Espinosa slides right back in as the utility guy now, but he will likely be on a short leash and we need to at least sign an insurance policy for him to be stashed in the minors.  Additionally, Espy can't play the OF positions that Lombo did so, on defense, it's certainly a downgrade from a versatility perspective.

[Mr Clean]

I'm just going to assume that somewhere out there, there's a Tigers board where their thread on this trade is just nothing but hundreds of people posting the Jags fan gif.

Could someone repost that? Would love to see it again.

[UMDNats]

Could someone repost that? Would love to see it again.

[imref]

We sti have kobernus and Walters either of whom can fill the lombo spot.