The bigger question about him is how good can you expect him to be in the AL? I remember conversations when there was discussion about the Cubs dealing and people wondering how he would play up in the AL.
I would rather sign Fister to a lesser deal.
He was quite good in his half-season in Oakland, but not as good as he was earlier in the year in Chicago. He really hasn't had a year like he did in 2014 any other time, he's been good but not quite that great at least in terms of ERA or ERA+.
If Fister is considerably cheaper, that could be a better option. His velocity drop is really concerning to me, though: 88.9 in 2012, 88.7 in 2013, 87.7 last year and down to 86.1 this year. I don't think his numbers return if he's still throwing 86 next season. Even for guys that aren't flamethrowers, a drop in velocity is a major red flag in terms of if a bad year is just a bad/unlucky year or if it's a new trend.
