Rangers sign Doug Fister to 1-year deal

The Rangers have agreed to sign right-hander Doug Fister to a one-year, $4 million deal that includes a club option for 2019, according to a major-league source. Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston first reported the agreement.

Fister’s deal includes a $3.5 million base for 2018 and a $4.5 million option (or $500k buyout) for 2019 and the option includes escalators that can it take it to $7 million. Both years of the deal include $500k in performance bonuses, meaning the deal can max out at $11.5 million over two years if the option is exercised and all escalators and incentives are met.

Fister experienced a bit of a career resurgence with the Red Sox in the second half of last season, seeing his velocity and strikeout numbers increase while posting a 4.88 ERA in 90.1 innings as a swingman for the team. Fister originally signed with the Angels in late May after not finding a suitable offer all winter before opting out of his minor-league deal and being claimed off release waivers by Boston in mid-June.

Fister will provide a veteran option in a Rangers rotation that will be headlined by Cole Hamels and Martin Perez and also includes Nick Martinez, A.J. Griffin and recently acquired righty Ronald Herrera as other options. Texas recently lost contributors Yu Darvish (trade) and Andrew Cashner (free agency) and is known to be prioritizing rotation help in free agency.

Fister, 33, is a veteran of nine major-league seasons with the Mariners, Tigers, Nationals, Astros and Red Sox. He owns a lifetime 3.68 ERA and 3.80 FIP in 230 appearances (214 starts) in that span.

Fister is the first major-league free agent to switch teams this winter. Keep track of all the moves in our updated free-agent tracker.