MLB Offseason 2017: Top 50 free agents

41. Doug Fister

Veteran right-hander Doug Fister became a valuable starter for the Boston Red Sox this season after David Price and Eduardo Rodriguez were knocked out by injuries for long stretches of the year. The 33-year-old finished the year 5-9 with a 4.88 ERA but did have a few stretches where he flashed the form that helped him go 51-38 with a 3.11 ERA from 2011 to 2014.

Standing 6-foot-8, Fister presents an interesting matchup for hitters due to his release point. His career to date had been defined by pitching to contact, but Fister struck out 8.3 per nine in 2017. That rise in strikeouts could point to some staying power for Fister as a starter going forward.

Most of Fister’s 2017 season saw him pitching like a back-end starter. His best month came in August when he went 2-2 with a 3.91 ERA and threw a complete game. Fister then ran out of steam in September and had a 5.58 ERA.

With the market for starting pitching as weak as it is this year, a pitcher like Doug Fister will still find a job for 2018. He slots in with the Scott Feldmans, Miguel Gonzalezes, Derek Hollands and Wade Mileys of the world. None of them really warrant their own page here, but their type is always an important part of the hunt for pitching in the offseason.