Pirates Sign Former First-Round Pick
A former first-round pick is now in the mix for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Fansided's Robert Murray reported that the Pirates have agreed to a minor-league contract with right-handed pitcher Carson Fulmer. Fulmer was taken with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt by the Chicago White Sox.
Murray also reported that the deal includes an invite to major league spring training.
Fulmer spent last season with the Los Angeles Angels and went 0-5 with a 4.15 ERA in 37 appearances, including eight starts over a career-high 86.2 innings pitched. He also set a career-high with 81 strikeouts.
Fulmer hadn't pitched more than 32.1 innings or struck out more than 29 batters, both of which he set in 2018.
The former first-round pick was 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA in 38 innings pitched and struck out 38 batters in his eight starts. As a reliever, Fulmer was 0-2 with a 3.88 ERA in 29 appearances and struck out 44 batters over his 48.2 innings pitched.
Fulmer has also pitched for the White Sox (2016-2019), Detroit Tigers (2020), Baltimore Orioles (2020) and Cincinnati Reds before spending the last two seasons with the Angels.
The Pirates' pitching throughout their organization has undergone a bit of a transformation in December. Pittsburgh brought back right-handed reliever Hunter Stratton on a minor league deal and signed right-handed relief pitcher Tanner Rainey to a minor league contract. Stratton suffered a ruptured left patella tendon on Aug. 24 while covering home against the Cincinnati Reds and is expected to be out for 7-10 months.
In the Rule 5 Draft, Pittsburgh selected 6-foot-8 right-handed pitcher Franck De La Rosa from the Athletics as well as left-handed pitchers Steve Hajjar and Randy Labaut from the Cleveland Guardians. The Pirates also traded right-handed starter Luis Ortiz and left-handed pitching prospects Michael Kennedy and Josh Hartle to the Guardians for left-handed hitting first baseman Spencer Horwitz.
