On Friday night Doug Fister will make his season debut for the Washington Nationals.
Fister, 30, was acquired in an offseason trade from the Detroit Tigers. He later signed a one-year deal with the Nationals for $7.2 million as they avoided arbitration but the Washington Post reports that the two sides did entertain the idea of a long-term extension. The Nationals still hold a option for 2015 on Fister.
The news that the Nationals tried to reach a long-term deal with Fister is not a surprise but trade talks never got very far. How well Fister pitches going forward will be the biggest key to a future deal being discussed.