The Tigers announced this morning that right-hander Carson Fulmer has been designated for assignment in order to open a spot on the roster for fellow righty Buck Farmer, who has been formally reinstated from the injured list.
Detroit claimed the out-of-options Fulmer earlier this year after the White Sox cut bait on the former No. 8 overall draft pick. The Tigers had hoped a change of scenery might help Fulmer turn things around after a dismal tenure in Chicago — 6.56 ERA, 83-to-64 K/BB ratio in 94 2/3 innings — but the former Vanderbilt star’s struggles continued. Fulmer tossed 6 2/3 frames with the Tigers and yielded five runs on eight hits, three walks and a hit batter with seven punchouts.
With the much more established Farmer returning from the injured list, the Tigers needed to either option out a different player or designate Fulmer for assignment, as his lack of options prevents him from being sent down without first clearing waivers. The Tigers will have a week to trade Fulmer, release him or try to pass the once-vaunted righty through waivers themselves. If he does clear, they’d be able to keep him in the organization’s 60-man player pool without dedicating a 40-man roster spot to him. At that point, Fulmer could head to the Tigers’ alternate training site in hopes of earning another look in the big leagues before season’s end.
8ManLineupNoPitcherNoDH
Trade for Mike Foltynewicz? Not sure who’s worse.
DodgerNation
Definitely Fulmer. Folty will turn it around I have faith.
Bravesfan87
I think he will too. He’s just has to get it together for a full season and stay out of his head.
Dogbone
Tigers could have at least kept him around long enough to start him, in a game against the Cubs.
bravesfan
Fulmer is definitely worse. But that’s assuming Folty can regain his velo. Otherwise, He’s not…. lol
vincent k. mcmahon
He’s either going through or some teams going to snatch him up and hope they can fix this, or he’s going for a third dfa train this year.
Judge_Smails45
Another Vanderbilt prospect..I hear the Reds calling
hiflew
If anybody can turn him around, it is Derrick Johnson.
stubby66
Ditto he is very good. Or he could get claimed by Milwaukee, put him on the 45 IL with a head case then send him to the pitcher factory.
stubby66
Ditto he is very good. Or he could get claimed by Milwaukee, put him on the 45 IL with a head case then send him to the pitcher factory. But honestly I don’t think they really need him though
Aaron Sapoznik
Derek Johnson was a former Vanderbilt University pitching coach from 2002-2012 before being hired professionally. He coached a number of first round draft picks including David Price and Sonny Gray.
Carson Fulmer began pitching at Vanderbilt as a freshmen in 2013 under Johnson’s replacement, Scott Brown, who has continued in the same role as we post. Brown has also seen a number of his pitchers drafted in round one including Fulmer and his rotation mate Walker Buehler.
Johnson and Brown have had quite the run in developing top pitching talent for the Commodores over the past two decades with many of their hurlers reaching the big leagues. I agree that Johnson might be Fulmer’s best shot for MLB success, that or some team hiring Brown away from Vanderbilt.
13Morgs13
I would like to see phillies take a chance on him.
DarkSide830
ew no
cgallant
Welcome to Boston Carson
Bravesfan87
Who you kidding. This has Atlanta written all over it
ChiSox_Fan
What a bust! It’s a shame for former high draft pick.
Idk what’s wrong with him. Perhaps he needs to see a sports psychologist to work on confidence.
Ji-Man Choi
Perhaps Colorado can take a chance on him and let him and Daniel Bard develop a relationship and see what happens
8ManLineupNoPitcherNoDH
Colorado is not where you want to try to mount a comeback and prove you belong…
DarkSide830
litteraly Bard himself says hello
8ManLineupNoPitcherNoDH
Yeah, and all 12 innings of sample size. Now let’s list out all the Rockies’ busted pitchers.
nmendoza7
Stop taking yourself so seriously
tim815
If a player is mishandled, it isn’t necessarily his fault.
Dogbone
@chisox
Or just perhaps ……… he’s was a terrible draft choice. I mean, according to Chisox fans, Dr Don Cooper always brings the best out of everyone.
Selkies
No, I’d say the whole “Coop will fix ‘em” thing died a good 5-6 years ago now. His track record now is more like “Coop will teach him a cutter and if that doesn’t work, well we done all we could.” Seriously, it may not be popular but I long for the day we get a new pitching coach in here that isn’t stuck in an era long past.
Don Cooper hasn’t made any pitcher better since Matt Latos had that run of like four games where he was good. He’s Kenny’s guy though, so he’s got a life-time deal here.
As for Carson Fulmer, I remember being so excited when we took him. I wanted him or Walker Buehler and at the time, I was hopeful Fulmer would turn out to be the better of the two but I was skeptical of his durability. Turns out I should’ve been worried about his mental toughness because he just doesn’t have it. I hope he figures it out one day but I don’t think he’s going to get many more chances. If you can’t make it on the South Side and you can’t make it in Detroit, then you better hope you land with Cincinnati or Tampa otherwise you’re probably a minor leaguer for however long until you fall out of baseball.
king beas
Mets should give him a shot can’t be worse than sewald
ScottCFA
Didn’t see anything special from him to warrant a major-league spot, but at someone’s alternate site? Sure. He is probably among the 60 best players for most teams, just not top 30. If the Tigers don’t think he is among their best 30, well, that says a lot!
Selkies
Honestly, I was impressed by a few of the Tigers relievers I’ve seen so far this year when the Sox played them. I think Gregory Soto has a bright future, I’d say the same of Jose Cisnero, as well. They’re patient with their guys over there it seems. Buck Farmer isn’t bad either.
BSHH
There a several young – not necessarily good – pitchers who come from the Tigers’ system and will have to be rostered soon, some of them might be able to pitch multiple innings. C. Fulmer cannot be optioned, so his margin for error was slim from the beginning.
Gruß,
BSHH
mbgutt
Pirates. Couldn’t be any worse
stymeedone
Hoping he gets thru waivers. He had a couple nice outings, which is more than I can say about Funkhouser, who would have been my pick to go down.
mikedickinson
Red Sox will claim him. He’s gotta be better than what they’ve got, right? Right?
Dtownwarrior78
The guy actually has decent stuff, he just leaves his mistakes right down the middle of the plate and their usually FB’s. If he can find something called a corner, then he’d be fine. He has always gotten plenty of K’s but you lay a 94-96 MPH fastball right down Broadway in the majors then you’re not going to last long. Hope he finds his way, either in Detroit or elsewhere
TroyVan
It’s his delivery. He’s got a really wild delivery. It almost seems as if he uses a windup/stretch hybrid where his wind up is so fast that the stretch is no faster, so he doesn’t use it.
I saw him pitch only twice, so I may be wrong on him not pitching from the stretch. But, his wind up is definitely too wild.
jhomeslice
Fulmer has not pitched as well as what could even be called mediocre in 4 seasons, minors or majors. I am a Sox fan, and know his story well. Any team who wants him… good luck with all that. I hope he turns it around but not among the things I consider likely.
Selkies
That’s what I’m saying. Fulmer was a mess for us leading up to the season, the Sox finally pulled the plug. He’s got some tools but his delivery is a problem, he loses confidence quickly and then come the long stretches of walks and tough 3-0, 3–1 counts he always gets himself in.
I’d like to see him go to Tampa, Cincinnati, or Atlanta.