Former Rookie of the Year shows up on Giants' spring training roster out of nowhere

On Wednesday, the SF Giants published its list of non-roster invitees to spring training. Included on that list was news that the club had made a surprise addition by adding veteran pitcher Michael Fulmer on a minor league deal.

Former Rookie of the Year shows up on Giants' spring training roster out of nowhere

The bullpen looks suspiciously like the one that ended last season. That unit was a strength early in the year, but that eroded away due to trades and injuries.

Presumably, Ryan Walker and Joel Peguero will compete for the closer role this spring. The Giants have a number of left-handed relievers, including Erik Miller, Matt Gage, and Sam Hengtes. Coverage from the left side might be the only area of strength for the bullpen right now.

In addition to signing Hentges, the Giants also added Jason Foley on a major league deal. Both pitchers are returning from shoulder surgery, but Foley is expected to miss the first half of the season.

The Giants have also added some non-roster competition. Caleb Kilian, Gregory Santos, and Nick Margevicius all joined the organization on minor league contracts this offseason. With the bullpen, there are a lot of moving parts and that unit is light on leverage experience.

There are plenty of opportunities for non-roster pitchers to win a job out of camp with a strong showing in the Cactus League. There is also a chance that the Giants continue to add to this group. Michael Fulmer will be in that competition.

Fulmer is a former AL Rookie of the Year. He came up as a starting pitcher with the Detroit Tigers, and saw a good bit of success in that role. Through his first two seasons, he posted a 3.45 ERA across 51 starts. He earned an AL All-Star nod in 2017.

The right-handed hurler has been slowed by injuries in recent seasons. This includes undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2019, and another elbow procedure in 2023. This second surgery resulted in him missing the 2024 season.

Fulmer pitched around the minor league circuit last year, including making stops in the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, and Seattle Mariners organizations. He made a trio of appearances split between the Red Sox and Cubs in the majors last season. Overall, he has registered a 3.95 ERA across eight minor league seasons.