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May 9 (UPI) -- Veteran starting pitcher Doug Fister is expected to join a new team, according to league sources. FanRag Sports reported Tuesday morning that the right-hander is close to signing a new deal, most likely with a National League franchise.
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In November, a source told the Tacoma News Tribune that Fister was a "name of interest" for the Seattle Mariners.
He has also earned interest from the San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals. FanRag Sports reported in April that the New York Mets were also interested in his services.
The New York Post reported Tuesday that the Mets won't sign Fister, but the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are now a contender.
On Sunday, SB Nation reported that Fister threw for four interested franchises on Thursday in California. Those clubs included: The Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Mets and Angels.
The Mets could use a veteran arm after losing Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Seth Lugo to injuries. Matt Harvey also just received a suspension and Robert Gsellman and Zack Wheeler are off to bad starts this season.
The 33-year-old had a career-worst 4.64 ERA and posted a 12-13 record in 32 starts last season for the Houston Astros. Fister came into the Bigs after the Mariners took him in the seventh round of the 2006 MLB June Amateur Draft. He played in Seattle for more than two seasons before joining the Detroit Tigers in a 2011 trade. He was traded again in 2013 when he went from the Tigers to the Washington Nationals. He signed with the Astros last offseason as a free agent.
After struggling with a 3-12 record and 3.33 ERA in 21 starts for the Mariners in 2011, Fister rebounded in the second half for the Tigers. He rolled to an 8-1 record with a 1.79 ERA in his final 11 games that season. His best full season came in 2014 with the Nationals when he posted a 16-6 record with a 2.41 ERA.
A National League executive told the Boston Globe in April that Fister's "stuff is considered marginal." The report also stated that team's wouldn't give him a big-league deal until he performed in the minor leagues.
Fister is entering his ninth season in Major League Baseball. He has 212 career appearances and 199 career starts. He has also made nine appearances in the postseason, including a showing in the 2012 World Series for the Tigers.
If the Mets are out on Fister, and he is looking to sign in the National League, that leaves the Padres and Diamondbacks in competition as his rumored suitors. The signing could give either National League West team a slight advantage, as both currently trail the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers in the division standings.
The Dodgers currently have a 3.25 team ERA, the best mark in baseball. Arizona's 3.87 ERA is No. 10 in baseball, while the Padres sit near the bottom of the league with a 4.61 mark. Arizona has gotten 16 quality starts out of its rotation, while the Mets have 13, Dodgers and Rockies have 12 and Padres have 11.
