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Doug Fister and the Washington Nationals submitted figures for arbitration and went to February 1, 2014 before they agreed on a 1-year/$7.2M deal for the 2014 season.
In his first season with the Nationals, who acquired the veteran right-hander in a 3-for-1 deal with the Detroit Tigers last winter, Fister overcame a right lat strain that delayed the start of his sixth major league campaign and went (16-6) in 25 starts, posting a 2.41 ERA, a 3.93 FIP, 24 walks (1.32 BB/9) and 98 Ks (5.38 K/9) in 164 IP for the NL East champs.
Fister was eligible for arbitration again this winter and is due to hit free agency after the 2015 campaign.
This time around the two sides agreed on a deal before they had to submit figures for arbitration.
The Nationals announced the deal with Fister right before this afternoon's 1:00 PM EDT deadline to agree on contracts with their arbitration eligible players.
The #Nats have agreed to terms with RHP Doug Fister, avoiding arbitration for the 2015 season. pic.twitter.com/jIIMH1eEXT
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) January 16, 2015
Both CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman and Washington Post writer Barry Svrluga reported today that Fister's deal for 2015 is worth $11.4M:
doug fister has deal with nats, $11.4M
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) January 16, 2015
Nats avoid arbitration with RHP Doug Fister. He'll make $11.4 million in 2015 after earning $7.2M in '14. A free agent after the year.
— Barry Svrluga (@barrysvrluga) January 16, 2015
Saying Goodbye to Tyler Clippard
Photo © Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
After trading left-handers Ian Krol and Robbie Ray and infielder Steve Lombardozzi to the Tigers last December, Nats' GM Mike Rizzo explained that part of Fister's appeal was that he was under team control for two years at a relatively affordable cost.
"Honestly," he told ESPN980 radio hosts Thom Loverro and Kevin Sheehan, "the extra year of control and the projected cost for Doug was really an incentive for us to make the deal."
The Nationals end up getting two seasons of Fister at $19.6M for Krol, Ray and Lombardozzi.
Nationals left-hander Jerry Blevins is now the only arbitration-eligible player who hasn't agreed to a deal for the 2015 season.