TODAY: Fulmer cleared waivers and was outrighted off Boston’s 40-man roster, but MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith writes that Fulmer has chosen to become a free agent rather than accept the outright assignment.
APRIL 18: The Red Sox announced that they have designated right-hander Michael Fulmer for assignment. That opens a roster spot for righty Hunter Dobbins, who has been recalled to the big league club. The Sox also reinstated third baseman Alex Bregman from the paternity list and optioned infielder/outfielder Nick Sogard.
Fulmer, 32, was just selected to Boston’s roster a few days ago. On Monday, starter Tanner Houck was obliterated by the Rays, allowing 11 earned in in 2 1/3 innings. Fulmer came in and tossed 2 2/3, allowing three earned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out two. He hasn’t pitched since then but the Sox needed to make room for Dobbins, who is making a spot start tonight, which has bumped Fulmer off the roster.
It may end up being a pretty unceremonious end to a fairly long pairing between the Sox and Fulmer. He underwent UCL revision surgery late in October of 2023 and was going to miss the entire 2024 season. He then signed a two-year minor league deal with the Red Sox, to cover his recovery and potential return in 2025.
The Red Sox stretched him out as a starter this year, an interesting choice as he had been working in relief prior to signing with them. He had a 0.79 ERA in the spring and then a 3.09 ERA in three minor league outings before coming to the big leagues for his aforementioned mop-up outing on Monday.
It’s a pretty small sample and tough to draw many conclusions from it. Now that he’s been sent into DFA limbo, the Sox will have a week to either trade him or pass him through waivers. The waiver process takes 48 hours so any trade talks would have to come together in the next five days.
Prior to his lengthy layoff, Fulmer had some interesting career highlights. He won American League Rookie of the Year in 2016, tossing 159 innings for the Tigers with a 3.06 ERA. His results dipped a bit in the following years and then he missed 2019 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He returned and found some success in a move to the bullpen, with a 2.97 ERA in 2021. But that ERA jumped to 3.39 in 2022 and 4.42 the year after, before he required another trip to the surgeon’s table.
Perhaps Fulmer will find some interest based on that track record. If he clears waivers, he has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency.
Photo courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images
Fat boy bites the dust!🤣
Rude comment.
Mr. Fulmer, come back to the Mets.
Regardless, as a free agent, I think Fulmer should get offers from teams.
The 😋 truth hurts!
Seriously, what did dust ever do to you?
Disgusting comment.
steldar – Yes, especially on Good Friday.
And he;’s listed at 6’3″ 224 lbs …. that’s not fat at all.
6-3 @ 224# comes in as a 28 BMI.
If you believe in those things, that’s technically the overweight category, but, not morbidly obese by any means.
Good Friday nothing new Should have heard Cooperhill taunting the dudes on the cross back in the day, singing Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye and taunting Overrated. The first trolls
Maybe he meant “fast boy” since it’s a fast day
GaSox – So what you’re saying is he’s not over the El Guapo Line ;O)
GA: Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t BMI fail to account for muscle-fat ratio at all? I imagine most professional athletes are relatively heavy for their height due to a lot of muscle weight.
Meow – Most guys view “fast boy” as more insulting than “fat boy” …… thankfully I’ve never been called either ;O)
The difference isn’t as startling as you’d think.
Mammalian muscle and connective tissue is normally considered in the range of 1.06 kg/l for density. Adipose fat is .92 kg/l.
So, for sake of argument, you’re talking a bit over 10% difference, unrelated to bodily fluids retained, so on so forth.
Also, athletes in general do not fit neatly into categories of low body fat percentages, which you would be making an assumption on. Many athletes have relatively high body fat.
Meow – It depends on the type of BMI test that is done.
The BMI pinch test, which I’ve had done myself, requires a caliper that measures the thickness of body fat in several locations. It pinches the skin by pulling the fat away from the muscle.
Lol BMI. What are you an elementary school gym teacher from the 90’s?
ha! any mention of Rich Garces brings a smile to my face!
I’m 6’3″ 265. I guess I’m heading into Walter Hudson territory.
smk – Me too, he was a favorite of mine.
I’m very glad he’s doing well at age 53 and still involved in New England baseball. Also a member of the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame.
Athletes carry more muscle than most of us, BMI doesn’t account for that.
@ cooperhill
Please get the help that you need!
Classic cooperhill comment.
On his worst day he’s still better than you
Your Mom is likely fat.
Another cheap-o move that didnt work..
He pitched 2.2 innings. Doesn’t seem like enough of a sample size to make a judgement on.
Clarence – He’s gonna end up right back in Woosta anyways. It’s a non-story.
Fever – I’m not 100% sure… you think a pitching needy club like Milwaukee wouldn’t take a chance on him with a 40-man spot?
GaSox – I don’t see it. Newcomb yes, Fulmer no. He hasn’t distinguished himself yet in my opinion.
But if he winds up on waivers and can be had for prorated mlb minimum… it’s not like they need to give something up to see what he’d have in the tank, right?
Fulmer likely is gone as per GA’s comments Good deal for him in rehabbing under an MLB team and another arbitraging type loss move from ownership. I can’t fault it other than they try this over and over again. When has it worked for an injured pitcher? Maybe it has and I just can’t remember.
Dewey, it all depends on your idea of ‘worked’… I’m on the fence about Paxtons 2022-23 deal. He made $10m total to rehab a year then pitch a year, gave us just under 100 IP of 4.50 era ball with bad defense behind him, and was just a hair above league average doing it with an era+ of 101.
So if you think that production was worth around $10m to not be saddled with a pile of decline years like the more talented guys get… I dunno.
I’d almost rate that one as nearly broke even for the short commitment and pitching costs.
It’s the price and sale deals, things of that nature that made ownership so averse to jumping in the deep end of the pool. Contracts like Lackeys are a thing of the past I suspect, players have too much leverage
dewey – That’s the part i just don’t get. The Sox signed him to a guaranteed 2-year contract back in Feb of last year ….. if he looked as promising as y’all say, why would they cut him loose now?
I don’t feel strongly about what will transpire either way, as it takes only one team with a strong interest to sign him …. but I can’t help but think they had some type of private agreement in which the contract and promotion were contingent on him agreeing to go back to Woosta.
GaSox – You had me until your very last sentence.
One word: Pivetta
One more word: Crochet
Fever – the problem comes in that 29 other clubs can grab him for pro-rata mlb minimum salary when he sits on waivers. He can’t just opt to head to worcester without those other clubs getting thr chance to grab him first.
Heck, even noncontending clubs might want to grab him to see if he rebounds and becomes a deadline rental piece
Fever – by lackeys deal I mean specifically the giving up a year of extra control at mlb minimum if a major injury happens…
Not sure how pivetta or crochet factor into that last sentence of lackey type deals being gone?
GaSox – I have no ties to the Padres, but Preller is damn shrewd ….
“Pivetta’s $14MM salary in 2027 becomes a club option “if at any point through 2026 he has a specified injury or surgery related to the injury and is on the injured list for more than 130 consecutive days in any season or in a one-year period.
The Friars can also trigger a 2029 club option valued at just $5MM, “if Pivetta has the specified injury or surgery related to the specified injury and goes on the injured list for more than 130 consecutive days in any season or in a one-year period, all occurring from July 1, 2026, through the 2028 season.”
As for Crochet ….
“There’s also a $15MM conditional club option for 2032 if Crochet misses 120 days due to a significant arm injury. His opt-out after 2030 would also be void if such an absence occurs before then.”
So while neither contract has a year at minimum salary, both contracts ensure the team will be extremely well-compensated if the pitcher has a lengthy injury.
I think the decision to cut him loose now is because the team feels they have better options they weren’t sure on back then like Fitts and the guy who took his place on the active roster. Neither was as solid a rotation option last year when Fulmer was signed as they appear now.
I guess Michael Wacha.
Fever, yes but if he’s claimed, there is no choice. Similarly, if contacted after being released, how could he say no? His agent is already speaking to other teams for if he’s released.
Fever, I didn’t remember either of those fine details… thanks for the info.
Ok, good, the experiment is over. All of the “rehab”, “regain your form”, “lightning in a bottle” depth moves are now off the roster and out of the organization.
I hope that Breslow (Yale) and the Analytics Dept (Ivy Leaguers) are smart enough to have learned their lesson. Signing these guys that are injured, in their 30’s, or who weren’t very good before are not going to be fixed. They’re not.
If we’re going to waste time and money hoping to find lightning in a bottle, let’s do it with young healthy arms. Odds are they’re not going to be “fixed” either, but at least there’s a better chance.
GaSox – You’re very welcome!
Credit where credit is due, the added protection in Crochet’s contract makes me feel a little bit better about the contract.
As for Pivetta, I always believed health concerns were a bigger factor in his late signing than losing draft picks. The contract supports that belief.
And wow has he been great so far! Just like I had said, with his elite K/BB it was just a matter of some other team fixing his propensity for giving up the long ball.
Sad – I don’t know what to make of your post, whether you’re being facetious or not.
You know they still have many of those rehab/regain form/lightning in a bottle pitchers on the team …. right? Unless you don’t consider Crochet/Buehler/Sandoval/Hendriks/Wilson/Newcomb etc as depth?
Breslow is starting to scare me. In the Netflix doc he snarkily told everyone his pitchers would drastically reduce their fastball usage because the historical MLB numbers show fastballs go for hits most often. That’s incredibly dumb of him to take yet another one-size-fits-all approach.
Common sense says fastballs get hit most often because MLB pitchers throw it most often because it’s the easiest pitch to throw and MLB teams emphasize velo so much.
So yeah, a 91 MPH fastball with no movement that’s right down the center of the strike zone is gonna get hit.
But if you’re Chapman and you can bring it at 102 MPH within the strike zone, damn straight I want him throwing it as often as possible!!!
I vaguely remember the pivetta thing, but, forgot. I think I was so distracted with travel when crochet got his deal I simply didn’t see that tidbit.
I was just glad they bit the bullet and paid him to make the haul they surrendered worth it
Fever – I need to watch the series when I can enjoy it.
Meanwhile, yes, I think the pendulum has gone too far with analytics, and, you’re starting to see justifications where underlying data is mere correlation, not causation.
I bet the data would also say fastballs are strikes at a multiple of frequency compared to all the off speed stuff that misses the zone. Does that mean we abandon offspeed for FB meatballs at 88mph? Of course not!
A lot of cheep o moves don’t work for every team. It’s why they’re cheap.
This move is just simply not going to work. Fulmer only walked 2 in 2 innings. My father once snuck an entire sourdough loaf in his longjohns just to keep it warm… lets just say afterwards, let’s just call it “cooked bread”
Dude was so nasty for the cubs before he got injured.
Pauly – You should have seen him with the Tigers, he was fantastic at the start of his career.
He’ll end up back in Woosta, just a hunch.
If he clears, why would he go back to the minors? He can take the money and walk. Too many teams need pitching. He will get an opportunity elsewhere.
It all depends on whether there is a handshake agreement before they DFA him where they make clear they intend to bring him back up soon. Tough to say they would though with the numbers of arms coming off the IL in the future.
There’s something to him being relatively established domestically in the area for a while now, as opposed to bouncing all over the league on low value deals paying high short term rental costs and living out of a suitcase
Wouldn’t be the worst idea for Hoyer to take a flyer on him. There are innings to cover at Iowa, and then they could see.
Mets laboratory will rebuild him
Gawd no.
Remember, he was a Mets prospect before he was traded to Detroit as a key piece of the Yoenis Cespedes deal. It was a different ownership and front office, but it’s possible.
Love to see if Matt Blake could work his magic with him grab him Cashman
Why isn’t Houck launched can’t wait for his next outing!
Why do you think? Do you need someone to walk you through this?
Makes too much moolah?
Career. 1.22 WHIP. Made the All star team last year. and he doesn’t make too much moolah at all.
But yeah, he had a bad start, let’s waive him ya big genius
His ERA getting phat like that 30 jersey
Yeah, because of one start.
You wanna go with 6 years of being an above average ML pitcher or one start you reactionist oddball?
If you wanna go with one start just say it. and we can stop rapping.
Mets need to right the wrong and sign Fulmer. He is a much better option then Reed Garrett. I’m tired of seeing Garrett come in and walk everyone, he stinks. For those that just look at ERA, yes I know he has a zero ERA. I’ve watched him all year. He is not reliable and also allows most inherited runners to score. I wish he was someone else’s problem
No offense to the guy, but aside from Kyle Lewis in the season that shouldn’t have happened, he is one of the most forgettable ROYs of the past decade.
Kyle Lewis, more like Jerry Lewis, amirite
Luis Gil will soon join that list.
Fulmer has been solid throughout his career. He’s never really had a bad season. Only in 2020 when he was coming back from TJ. He will be a nice pick up for some team.
Wil – He’s had TWO TJS ….. and he sucked before and after each surgery, as one would expect.
Oh that mean Wil prolly collects his baseball card- why you gotta be so rude, don’t you know he human too
Is Nick Sogard related to Eric?
Yes, they are cousins, and they kind of look alike. We enjoyed Eric Sogard in Oakland a lot, the style of his signature makes his one of my favorite autographs of all time, it looks like a Picasso sketch of the female form…
Was hoping they’d keep Fulmer around to at least eat some innings when needed. He looked good in spring training and at AAA so far this year. I’d say it’s very likely that another team tries to snag him. Could probably make a solid mop-up man for someone at the very least.
He’s healthy, had moderate success in his career and he’s only 32. I’d bet someone claims him.
Why not Detroit? Nice little homecoming.
Oh boy.
He better sign with the cardinals. MLB deal. He was gonna be the 5th starter at the beginning of the year
Thanks for nothing
Choosing the path untraveled. Here I go again on my own, going down the only road I’ve ever known
Is this team ever going to get its pen straightened out? Too many wanna be peckerwoods blowing up costing games here!
Michael had another non-baseball position in mind.
Selling home cleaning products door-to-door.
The opportunity is a natural……..
The FULMER BRUSH MAN !!
Right after he rows his boat to shore.
Why did he give up on his 4-seamer after his first year?