SF Giants part ways with former AL Rookie of the Year winner

Michael Fulmer’s time with the SF Giants is up. The former AL Rookie of the Year was released by the organization, per the team’s transaction log.

Presumably, Fulmer triggered an opt-out in his contract that led to the move. On Wednesday, quite a few veteran players became available after exercising opt-out clauses. Fulmer was likely in that group.

The end result is the same. Fulmer is now a free agent. He joined the Giants on a minor league deal in the offseason. This included a camp invite.

The right-handed pitcher was drafted by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2011 draft out of Deer Creek High School in Edmond, Oklahoma. Prior to that, he had been lightly recruited by Tony Vitello when he coached at Texas Christian University (TCU).

Michael Fulmer did well for SF Giants organization in a tough environment

There was an obvious connection there that felt like it would eventually lead to a role with the club. Fulmer put together a quality Cactus League showing but was one of the last cuts.

The Giants reassigned Fulmer to the Sacramento River Cats, where he posted a strong 2.98 ERA in 42.1 innings out of the bullpen. This is especially impressive in the context of the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Given all the struggles the Giants’ bullpen has had, it was a modest surprise not to see him get a chance.

The Giants’ bullpen has been an extreme weak spot in 2026. That unit is 19th in baseball with a 4.28 ERA, and it has struggled badly at closing out games.

The Giants traded away Caleb Kilian and Erik Miller, so the bullpen’s already-thin depth is getting thinner. The rest of the season is an open audition for next year. There are few current options who you can confidently pencil into next year's bullpen. That said, Keaton Winn and Dylan Smith have done a nice job. Smith is a good example of why the Giants should churn the back of the roster to see if they can find value.

On the other hand, Michael Fulmer hits the open market. He is a veteran of eight major league seasons and has a career 3.95 ERA.

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