TORONTO, ON – AUGUST 12: Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Michael Fulmer (32) looks on from his team dugout during the MLB regular season game between the Chicago Cubs and the Toronto Blue Jays on August 12, 2023 at Rogers Center in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Gavin Napier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Chicago Cubs’ pitching depth has been tested repeatedly this season, with injuries forcing the team to cycle through a seemingly endless collection of arms and acquire numerous players wherever it can.
Shortly before the team acquired New York Mets starter David Peterson, followed by a pair of veteran arms at the trade deadline, the situation was dire.
“The Cubs have 11 pitchers from their 40-man roster currently on the injured list, a vicious cycle that has eroded the organization’s pitching depth,” as The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney reported last month.
As the Cubs cycle through a variety of arms ahead of a playoff push, the team has now received an update on a two-season veteran who was recently castoff and continues to search for a new home.
Former Chicago Cubs Pitcher Cuts Ties With Latest Team After Just 3 Games To Join New York Yankees
The former Rookie of the Year winner and Detroit Tigers All-Star Michael Fulmer became the latest veteran pitcher on the move, cutting his stint with the Los Angeles Angels short after just three games with the organization before joining the New York Yankees.
Fulmer saw two different stints with the Cubs, one in 2023 that was followed by a lost season due to injury, then another last year after he signed a minor league pact with the team. He became a free agent in the middle of last season and has since bounced around to five different organizations in a remarkable whirlwind of transactions.
Most recently, he cut ties with the Angels after clearing waivers.
“Fulmer had a brief stay in the (Angels) organization,” Anthony Franco reported for MLB Trade Rumors. “He signed a minor league deal on August 11, was called up within four days, then dropped from the roster a week later. Fulmer tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts in three appearances.”
Fulmer’s departure is therefore not the result of a disastrous major league performance. Instead, the Cubs’ roster needs changed quickly, leaving the veteran without a clear path to remain in Chicago.
According to his official transaction page, Fulmer joined the Yankees the next day, making a one-inning appearance for the Bronx Bombers on Wednesday.
Former All-Star Fights For Career After 2 Separate Chicago Cubs Stints
Fulmer’s short Cubs stints shouldn’t overshadow what he accomplished in the minors this season.
The right-hander spent most of the year with the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate and has been considerably more effective there, compiling a 2.93 ERA across 43 innings. He has also posted a strong strikeout rate of nearly 29%, although his 11.5% walk rate remains an area for improvement.
That performance seemed to give Fulmer an opportunity with the Yankees, who are growing desperate for healthy arms in the bullpen at this point in the season.