Mariners Lose Former Rookie Of The Year, All-Star Pitcher To Free Agency

A year that included stints with four teams...

Jun 5, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the Seattle Mariners logo during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

As the Seattle Mariners head into a new season looking to avenge their tough postseason defeat last month, their roster is getting a bit of a makeover.

Compared to most teams, the Mariners had a heavily veteran roster at Triple-A Tacoma. That resulted in a mass exodus of minor-league free agents this week, including one former Rookie of the Year winner that some Mariners fans may not have been aware was in the organization.

Michael Fulmer, the 32-year-old right-handed pitcher who pitched for four organizations and made only three appearances in the majors this season, elected free agency on Thursday, according to the transactions log on his roster page.

Michael Fulmer's Mariners stint could be over

Sep 11, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Michael Fulmer (32) pitches in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Fulmer began his campaign with the Boston Red Sox, with whom he signed an unusual two-year minor-league deal before the 2024 season. But after just one appearance in a blowout loss, he was designated for assignment and wound up signing with the Cubs, for whom he pitched two more times before a second DFA.

From there, he moved on to minor-league deals with the Kansas City Royals, and finally, the Mariners. He wound up throwing 66 1/3 innings in Triple-A on the year, his highest innings output in any season since 2021, when he was a reliable reliever for the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers were also the team Fulmer debuted with, winning American League Rookie of the Year honors in 2016 and making the All-Star team in 2017. He had 9.4 WAR in those first two big-league seasons, and has only added 3.3 in the eight years since.

For Tacoma, Fulmer had a 0.75 ERA, allowing just one run in 12 innings. But the Mariners never gave him a shot in the bigs, even though he signed in August and was therefore eligible for the postseason roster.

The biggest issue for Fulmer over the last few years has been health, and though he barely got a chance to prove himself in the majors this year, he did prove he's healthy and ready to handle a full-time bullpen workload.

Where will he sign next season? In theory, it could be the Mariners again, but he'll play the market and assess which teams will offer him the clearest path to big-league innings.

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