TODAY: The Athletics are also interested in Fiers, according to reports from the Detroit News’ Chris McCosky and MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi, though there haven’t yet been any serious talks between Oakland and Detroit.
SATURDAY: Tigers right-hander Mike Fiers started against the Red Sox on Saturday, but he may find himself on Boston’s roster soon. With the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline nearing, the Red Sox are one of several clubs “evaluating” Fiers, Buster Olney of ESPN tweets.
Although Boston possesses the majors’ best record (69-30) and a five-game lead in the AL East, injuries have recently taken a bite out of its rotation. Mid-rotation arm Eduardo Rodriguez incurred “serious damage” to his right ankle last week, forcing him to the disabled list, and both Drew Pomeranz and Steven Wright are currently on the DL with him. Pomeranz will return Tuesday, but he has been woeful in eight starts this year (6.81 ERA/5.37 FIP across 37 innings). Wright, meanwhile, has been battling left knee problems that have shelved him for the past month and will keep him out for the foreseeable future.
In the absence of Rodriguez, Pomeranz will join either Brian Johnson or Hector Velazquez and the high-end trio of Chris Sale, Rick Porcello and David Price to comprise Boston’s rotation. At best, the 33-year-old Fiers would be Boston’s fourth starter in Rodriguez’s absence, but he’d nonetheless provide the team a proven back-end option. A former Brewer and Astro, Fiers has generally been respectable since debuting in 2011, evidenced by a 4.10 ERA/4.31 FIP with 8.28 K/9 and 2.72 BB/9 over 141 starts (830 2/3 innings).
Fiers endured a difficult 2017 with the title-winning Astros, but he has rebounded this season with the Tigers after signing a one-year, $6MM deal in free agency. Through 111 innings, including 6 1/3 scoreless frames versus the Red Sox on Saturday, Fiers has worked to a 3.49 ERA with 6.65 K/9, 1.95 BB/9 and the game’s 17th-best infield fly percentage among qualified starters (12.7). On the other hand, some of Fiers’ other numbers aren’t so encouraging (39.4 percent groundball rate, 4.57 FIP/4.76 xFIP/4.49 SIERA), which is something the Red Sox and other teams will have to weigh when considering swinging a trade for him. In the event the Tigers do find a taker for Fiers, he could also be on the acquiring team’s roster in 2019 – his final year of arbitration eligibility.
Pretty sure Fiers “evaluated” the Redsox lineup tonight…
Yeah that’s about all they did was evaluate him. They sure couldn’t hit him or anything like that tonight lol
Hope we get Britton too
One start but his value went up. Is he worth the cost given Boston’s current minor league “talent”? If they really are willing to take on salary, maybe add in VMart to then release IF this is his last year (I’m not sure). Cost would be lower. More realistically, they’d just be in it to run up the cost for the Yankees who are in position to do everything but out $ them this year.
Forget VMart. Contract ends next year per what I read.
2018 is the end of VMart’s contract.
That’s what I first thought but I Googled and stopped at one article that said it was 4 x $17m ending in 2019.
Fake news, although they did at least get the total dollars and number of years right. He signed the 4-year deal as a free agent in November 2014. That would be 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.
You dont want VMart
2018 is the end of Vmarts career forget his contract
The whole idea was to release him but give the Tigers financial relief this year in lieu of better prospects that they don’t have or want to give up. Such only works if they agree to pierce the upper threshold anyway.
VMart was awesome with the Sox, extremely clutch and he dominated the Yankees pitchers. But now, due mostly to his health issues, he’s a shell of what he was then. It’s unfortunate, because he’s a great guy.
Fliers will be a good addition mainly with his BFF in the Redsox lineup. I hope DD gets him n Britton because Kelly has really struggling like he may have an injury.
If he goes to Boston that would perhaps heat up the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry with his thing with Stanton
YES exactly what I was thinking! And not only that, but the Yankees have hit him pretty well.
Oh yeah huh? I forgot about that lol
His “thing with Stanton”? That wasn’t remotely intentional. Even Stanton has acknowledged that.
and then fiers hit him again and stanton had some words for him followed by a HR. maybe youre not paying attention
* you’re
Lol u mad
Oh I forgot bout that. Jelly n Austin too.
Tyson Ross please, not Fiers.
Great pick up
Jkjk
lol
Was the picture taken through a set of bushes? Lol is that how they evaluate players?
There was a heavy fog in Motown
That was gun smoke.
Well, he schooled them tonight. So the Red Sox should know what he can do.
Red Sox, please trade for Fiers. The guy who once hit Stanton in the face being on the Sox would ratchet up the Yanks rivalry another notch.
LOL.
I’d rather not see a senseless brawl
Given their history, if Fiers fired one up and in on Stanton, and a brawl ensure, it wouldn’t really be senseless, would it?
Need Varitek’s mit stuck in Arod’s face again for a proper tiff between Boston and new York.
Need Bill Mueller for the walk off.
A showdown almost happened when Fiers hit Stanton earlier this year.
Need A-Rod slapping Bronson Arroyo’s glove during a pressure situation.
No one really wants a fight but it was humorous to read. The Yankees might be the biggest team in a long time. Sox have a couple of martial arts guys. The way baseball has become a video game anyway, why not add the two team players’ images to the next WWE video game that comes out.
What do Varitek and A-Rod have to do with this? Everyone realizes that happened more than a decade ago, right? Why not bring up the time Gene Michael put Carlton Fisk in a headlock, or when Greg Nettles knocked Bill Lee’s p*ssy light’s out?
As Mickey Rivers was holding Lee’s arms. Why not tell the whole story? As for Stick, I don’t remember that. Two fights I do recall, one started with Munson, the other with Piniella. Both after tagged at the plate on throws by Evans. So many years removed, I think high tags and/or old style barreling in at the plate were the cause.
Xactly!
You’re a NYY fan!
I would
Fires has arguably been the Tigers best starter this year.
Totally agree. I had no idea what we were getting out of him when we signed him but he’s been solid and has decent stuff.
What does BoSox have in their system to make it worthwhile?
Nothing. They’d have to take a bad contract on as well I would imagine. Maybe Zimmerman?
In what world would adding a, let’s be honest innings eater who profiles best as a number 5 starter and instead of giving up a c level prospect you take on a horrific multi year 20 mil a year contract of Zimmerman’s make any sense whatsoever. The Redsox are going over the 237 mil this year and losing ten draft spots for Mike Friers… and Zimmerman I highly doubt it.
Agreed which is why I mentioned VMart if his deal ends this year. Such would be ok if there is another deal for say a reliever which would put them over the higher threshold anyway. Most likely though their involvement would end up just increasing the cost to the Yankees who I expect will get him. Cashman’s eyes lit up today even though it was just one start.
Not much, for sure.
Jordan Zimmerman for Rusney Castillo, Jalen Beeks and Dennyi Reyes.
No one will take on Rusney. The Sox are stuck paying their AAA outfielder millions and millions.
Teams would be much more likely to take on a portion of Rusney’s deal than Jeff Zimmerman’s 20 mil god awful deal
Jeff
Jeff Jordan same difference. Actually Jeff Zimmerman’s contract is much better, he doesn’t make 20 mil.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Zimmerman or Fiers and I’d hope that they could move Castillo and add Kelly plus Chavis, Beeks/Hernandez /Dalbec
He has done well against the red sox… maybe the Yankees want him?
He’s done well against the jays and the Orioles also.
Everyone done well against bal
For anyone to take on Zimm Det would have to eat nearly all of his contract, so it ain’t happening. That said, look at his numbers this year. He has been good. If he continues with quality starts for another season, maybe someone takes him his last year if Det covers some contract. Terrible contract, but it’s because he has been injured.
I think Fiers could be had for a mid level prospect and maybe a low level guy thrown in. He has something like 8 quality starts in a row. He has been a steady back-end of rotation guy his whole career, except for 2017. And he is under team control next year. As a Tigers fan I hope they keep him. Their starting pitching prospects are all in AA so he is a good stop gap starter.
I agree, I hope the Tigers keep him. Zimm, Fulmer and Fiers, with Boyd and maybe Hardy wouldn’t be a terrible rotation next season. Then wait for the young guys to come in. Liriano will probably be dealt. He will probably be like last year, used as a bullpen piece. Houston might be interested. He was there last year. Heck, I would take Giles off their hands. Send them Liriano and CF Martin for Giles and Kemp. Kemp becomes our 2B.
Lol wut? Trying to find anything in your post that makes any sense whatsoever.
Zimm Fulmer Fiers Boyd and Hardy is a terrible lineup this year. Why would it be any better next season?
Zimmermann and fiers have been great. Boyd has quite a few quality starts. Fulmer… could rebound. Hardy is a typical number 5.
Not an all star squad… but they have done pretty well. Heck, I’d take them over the Mets or angels rotation.
I don’t have a problem with Detroit hanging on to both Fiers and Martin. Both are cheap thru arbitration. If a quality prospect isn’t offered, they hold more value holding spots until replacements are ready.
The RSox already have (2) Fiers in Johnson & Velasquez. Good pitchers, not great, that know how to pitch.
IMO the Sox need to move Kelly and/or Hembree and start using Ryan Brasier as their 8th inning guy setting up Kimbrel..
The Sox are already using Barnes to setup Kimbrel.
Vmart’s contract ends at the end of the 2018 season…which will more than likely be his last.
Anyone who thinks the Red Sox should acquire VMart is high. Victor is a double play machine who hasn’t hit a home run since May. The end is mercifully near in Detroit.
VMART is done. No homers since May and the shift has killed him. He can’t run as you noticed when he could not go to third on clearly a double in the corner but could not make it first to third so we had a 1st and 2nd situation when anyone else in baseball running would be 2nd and 3rd. Let him retire. We can trade you Fiers and McCann so you can get over the C injuries too.
3.49 ERA 4.57 FIP 4.75 xFIP no thank you Fiers really sucks
I’d rather Oakland go after Britton and Soria and then it wont matter what warm body is eating the 5 innings. Mendgen and Fiers are pretty much the same guy.
Britton makes sense but the A’s already have too many righties, need a dominant lefty like Britton or someone else
lmao why is most of this thread arguing about a guy not even mentioned in the article?
Hope Fiers goes to Oakland. At least they have some prospect depth for the Tigers to choose from.
With this being the last year of Vmart’s contract he will retire at seasons end…not by his choice…do to age and lack of production.
Fiers is a good piece of MLB rotation depth. Worth a lower level prospect or two. No need to overpay for this guy. #Scoutseyes
I think Boston waits until Pomeranz pitches this week to determine if they really need another starter. They have limited prospects so if Pomeranz good then focus on bullpen and also go with Devers at 3b. He has neither helped or hurt them at this point