OT: Jonah Keri on Fister trade

I found this today and wanted to post it because it's pretty much exactly how I felt about the trade. I am still in semi-disbelief that one of the "perks" of this trade was that Fister is under team control until 2015. What does it matter if a guy is under contract for four more years if he's not that good? Just thought you might find this interesting as Keri is very well respected in the baseball community. 

EDIT: Chance Ruffin was the last player added into the deal. As long as it wasn't Smyly, I felt like it was defensible. Fister makes his first start tonight against the Mighty Morphin Texas Rangers. 

I have this theory that raw park effects and defense-independent stats don't always tell the whole story on a particular player. Imagine you're a pitcher in Petco Park. You know that hitters are far less likely to hit the ball out of the park. Couldn't that change the way you pitch? Isn't it conceivable that you could throw more strikes without the fear of an Earl Weaver Special in the back of your mind, thus improving your strikeout rate, your walk rate, and your overall statistical profile?

I think Doug Fister may have benefited from that effect while pitching for the Mariners. The combination of Safeco Field and an excellent defense behind him may have made Fister feel more secure in throwing strikes. That in turn may have led to some microscopic walk rates (career 1.9 BB/9 IP) which contributed greatly to Fister's success. There are a couple of other more tangible statistical indicators that suggest Fister has had luck on his side, notably a very low home run-per-fly ball rate of 4.4 percent this season. But batting average on balls in play, strand rate, and other oft-cited luck markers don't necessarily suggest a fluke, or a pitcher ripe for regression.

I wish I could properly test my theory to see if there's something to it, but there are too many variables in play, and self-reported data such as "how confident was I when I pitched at Safeco Field" is rarely reliable. But the Tigers' trade for Fister and fellow strikeout-challenged right-hander David Pauley depends largely on whether this effect is real, and if the new guys can adapt to conditions less favorable to pitchers. The good news for the Tigers? They might win a very weak AL Central anyway, even if Fister and Pauley (and recently acquired third baseman Wilson Betemit) fizzle out.