MLB free agency: One player each team should sign

MLB free agency: One free agent each team should sign

CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 24: Kansas City Royals First base Eric Hosmer (35) during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Chicago White Sox on September 24, 2017 at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois.(Photo by Jerome Lynch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2 of 30

BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 13: Doug Fister #38 of the Boston Red Sox delivers during the first inning of a game against the Oakland Athletics on September 13, 2017 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

Atlanta Braves: Doug Fister

The Braves have taken some small steps forward this year in their rebuilding process, but are still a few years away from actually contending. While they wait on their elite pitching prospects to develop and mature, it has been the M.O. of the Atlanta front office to sign inexpensive veteran pitchers to eat innings and shield the youngsters from beatings at the MLB level.

Atlanta had mixed results this year with R.A. Dickey, Bartolo Colon and Jaime Garcia as the veteran anchors of their rotation. Dickey was very good for long stretches, Garcia was fairly dependable before being traded and Colon was flat-out awful before being released.

All John Coppolella and his front office should be looking for this offseason is a rubber-armed veteran who won’t get shelled more often than not. Doug Fister fits that billing, and is coming off a solid rebound year with the Boston Red Sox. The tall right-hander should be looking to move back over to the National League on a multi-year deal, and the Braves can afford that.

Fister was a nice surprise for the Red Sox this season as their rotation was decimated by injuries to David Price and Eduardo Rodriguez for long stretches. He had a very strong month of August where he went 2-2 with a 3.71 ERA in 26.2 innings with 25 strikeouts. Fister will be 34 next year but has struggled with injuries for the past three years after going 51-38 with a 3.11 ERA from 2011 to 2014.

Home/MLB