When last we had heard from Mike Fiers, the former Oakland A’s pitcher was heading to Mexico. He had signed with the Leones de Yucatan in the Mexican League in an attempt to resurrect his career. At 37 years old, he was hoping for one last chance before calling it a career.
His time in Mexico has led to a new opportunity. According to reports, Fiers has signed with the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions in the Chinese Professional Baseball League.
Mike Fiers moving on to a new league
Fiers’ career appeared to be on life support after the 2021 season. He made just two appearances during his injury plagued year, allowing eight runs on 15 hits, including four homers, and four walks in his 9.1 innings. It was not a surprise that offers were not exactly rolling in during free agency.
That changed during his time in the Mexican League. He posted a solid 2.84 ERA and a 1.218 WHiP in his 44.1 innings with Yucatan, issuing just seven walks and two homers. While his 19 strikeouts are incredibly low, he managed to be effective in a league that tends to trend towards offense.
Now he is set to take the next step in his baseball journey. It will likely be a couple of weeks before he gets on the mound for the Uni-Lions, but it is another opportunity. If he can put together a strong showing in Taiwan as well, Fiers may be able to get one more look stateside.
Teams are desperate enough for pitching where a minor league contract for 2023 may not be out of the question. Fiers had posted a 3.85 ERA and a 1.210 WHiP in his 415.2 innings between 2018 and 2020. A team looking for a stopgap at the back of their rotation could take a flier and see what happens.
Mike Fiers has found a new opportunity after a strong showing in Mexico. The former Oakland A’s pitcher is heading to the CPBL.