The Kansas City Royals have added a lot of intriguing names to their pitching staff this year, but they haven’t amounted to much major league production.
There was the signing of Rich Hill, the 21-year veteran who only pitched two games in Kansas City before he was designated for assignment. And Dallas Keuchel, the 2015 American League Cy Young winner, is still toiling away with Triple-A Omaha.
One more former award winner the Royals very quietly added was Michael Fulmer, the ex-American League Rookie of the Year with the Detroit Tigers. He signed a minor league deal with the Royals in July, but was released on Saturday following a 5.89 ERA in 15 appearances.
However, Fulmer didn’t remain out of work for long.
Fulmer landed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, according to the MLB transactions log. He was assigned to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers and even made his debut on Wednesday night, tossing one inning and allowing an unearned run.
That hardly covers the extent of Fulmer’s topsy-turvy season, though. In fact, that deserves more of a comprehensive recap.
Fulmer began the year with the Boston Red Sox after missing the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery. He was optioned to Triple-A out of spring training but got recalled for one outing in a blowout against the Tampa Bay Rays in April, then promptly got designated for assignment.
He elected free agency on Apr. 20 and signed with the Chicago Cubs, his former major league team, on Apr. 22. But after two months in Chicago, he was designated for assignment on June 29, signing with the Royals on July 3. We’ve covered the rest.
In eight major league seasons with the Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Cubs, and Red Sox, Fulmer is 37-50 with a 3.95 ERA. He was an All-Star in 2017, the year after his Rookie of the Year campaign, but injuries curtailed his progress and eventually forced him into the bullpen.
Will the Mariners be able to unlock something with Fulmer the Royals couldn’t? Not many pitchers return to becoming productive big-leaguers after seasons like this one, but it can’t be ruled out.
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