Wednesday's baseball: Ex-Tigers pitcher Fister retires at 35

Veteran pitcher Doug Fister, whose best seasons in the major leagues were with the Tigers, has decided to retire.

His agent confirmed the news in an interview with MLB.com on Wednesday.

“He’s been contemplating this for a couple months,” agent Page Odle said in a telephone interview with MLB.com. “The main reason is that he wants to start a new chapter in his life. This is 100-percent family driven. He’s really excited about being a dad and husband. He’s very much a family-oriented guy.”

Odle added that Fister had major-league offers to pitch in 2019, but decided to walk away at the age of 35.

Fister, a right-hander, was acquired by the Tigers from the Mariners in a July 30 trade, and he ended up pitching for Detroit in the World Serie a few months later (even taking a line drive off the head and staying in during Game 2 in San Francisco).

In 2 1/2 seasons with Detroit, Fister was 32-20 with a 3.29 ERA and a 1.191 WHIP.

He was dealt after the 2013 season in a trade that befuddled and angered Tigers fans. He was sent to Washington for three prospects who never panned out in Detroit, Robbie Ray, Ian Krol and Steve Lombardozzi. Ray later worked out in Arizona.

Fister’s first season with the Nationals was a good one, but injuries and ineffectiveness hampered him after that. He spent two seasons with the Nationals, before moving on to the Astros in 2016, the Red Sox in 2017 and the Rangers last season.

For his career, he was 83-92 with a 3.72 ERA in 226 appearances, mostly starts.

Players claim victories

Pitchers Trevor Bauer, Gerrit Cole and Alex Wood won salary arbitration cases Wednesday, giving players a 6-3 advantage over teams to ensure a winning record in consecutive years for the first time since 1989-90.

Bauer won his hearing for the second straight year and was awarded $13 million instead of the Indians’ $11 million offer. Cole was given a $13.5-million salary rather than the Astros’ offer of $11,425,000. Wood will receive $9.65 million instead of the Reds’ $8.-million offer.

Bauer and Cole topped the previous high for a salary awarded in an arbitration hearing, $10.5 million won last year by Boston outfielder Mookie Betts.

Bauer, a 28-year-old right-hander, was a first-time All-Star last year and finished sixth in American League Cy Young Award voting after going 12-6 with a 2.21 ERA, second behind Tampa Bay’s Nate Snell. Bauer’s right leg was broken Aug. 11 when hit by a line drive, and he did not return to the mound for the Indians until Sept. 21.

Bauer won a $6,525,000 salary last year, instead of Cleveland’s $5.3-million offer.

Nola’s big deal

Pitcher Aaron Nola and the Phillies agreed to a $45-million, four-year contract, avoiding a salary arbitration hearing scheduled for this week.

The 25-year-old right-hander set career bests last year when he was a first-time All-Star, going 17-6 with a 2.37 ERA. He would have been eligible for free agency after the 2021 season..

“I think Aaron Nola brings a preparation we can all look up to and our other players can emulate,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said Wednesday. “I think his between-the-lines competitiveness is off the charts. He’s such a fighter, he’s such a grinder, he’s such a battler.”

Under a deal announced Wednesday, Nola gets a $2-million signing bonus, $4 million this year, $8 million in 2020, $11.75 million in 2021 and $15 million in 2022. Philadelphia has a $16-million team option for 2023 with a $4.25-million buyout.

Eligible for arbitration for the first time, Nola had asked for a raise from $573,000 to $6.75 million and the Phillies had offered $4.5 million.

Nola is scheduled to discuss the deal today.

Around the horn

The Cubs and Sinclair Broadcast Group are launching a regional sports network in 2020 that will be the team’s exclusive TV home, replacing long-time home WGN, and WLS.

... Left-hander Brett Anderson is back with the A’s for a third stint 10 years after breaking into the big leagues with the club, signing a $1.5-million contract.

... The Nationals traded right-handed reliever Trevor Gott to the Giants for cash.