The Tigers have avoided arbitration with right-hander Michael Fulmer, per a team announcement. He’ll earn $3.1MM in 2021, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. That sum falls in line with MLBTR’s projection of $2.8MM to $3.2MM.
This agreement comes in the wake of a nightmarish season for Fulmer, who managed an 8.78 ERA/5.58 SIERA over 27 2/3 innings in his first action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2019. The 27-year-old also posted personal worsts in average fastball velocity (93.1 mph, down from 95-plus in prior seasons), strikeout percentage (14.7), walk percentage (8.8), groundball rate (8.8) and home runs per nine (2.6).
Last season was the second straight rocky campaign for Fulmer, who logged subpar production by his previous standards during an injury-limited campaign in 2018. Before that, he was one of the game’s most coveted young starters from 2016-17, as he took home AL Rookie of the Year honors in his debut and continued recording quality numbers as a sophomore.
Fulmer frequently came up in trade talks with teams seeking a controllable and high-end starter during his first couple years, but the Tigers never found an offer to their liking. Now, with Fulmer’s trade value at an all-time low, the Tigers are left to hope that he will bounce back to respectability in 2021 – his second-last year of arbitration eligibility.
Hosmer for HOF
Or, hey, accept that he was great for two seasons and has lost all value. Tigers could contribute that $3M instead towards signing Brad Hand on a two year deal for twice as much and flipping him at the deadline but their GM really is the dumbest dude out there.
tom brunanskys black sock
Lol imagine thinking Brad hand would make any difference for Detroit besides maybe being flipped at the deadline for a bag of tropical fruit skittles
miggy4prez
Yeah this. Detroit paying real money for a top reliever right now is dumb. Even dumber than signing him to 2 years just to flip him in 4 months. I’ll take Avila over Hosmer up there any day.
ohyeadam
I think you could get an upgrade to wild berry
NYYstateofmind
Oh, it’s not the speed really so much, I just wish I hadn’t drunk all that cough syrup this morning.
Hosmer for HOF
As funny an idea as it is they have zero strategies to become a legitimate team in 5-10-15 years. Their whole divisions just gonna kick them down unless they do things like acquiring talents to trade for prospects and draft well. Look at the Padres to learn about this…
YakAttack
H4H. Well I was going to say something but you already said Hosmer for Hndiiehrvr. You do not pass go, and may Lasorda have mercy on your soul.
Dunk Dunkington
Tigers are not ready to sign a bullpen arm like Hand anyhow, and mind as well see what they have in Fulmer who will have a regular offseason and further removed from Tommy John.
Also there is no rule saying if the Tigers agree to avoid Arbitration with Fulmer they cannot sign Brad Hand in free agency unless I missed it somewhere.
SalaryCapMyth
@tom. That’s EXACTLY the value Hosmer for HOF was saying Hand would have for the Tigers.
This is what the Yankees did. Immediately following the offseason they acquired Chapman, they traded him at the deadline to acquire Gleber Torres. If they could do it the Tigers might get something real out of it but it’s just an expensive way to invest and risky. You would pay Hand a lot more than, say, Trevor Rosenthal and bullpen arms are extremely combustible. But hey, no guts no galaxy, right?
dragonhawk1066
Imagine being foolish enough to think that Hand would sign with the Tigers right now for anything less than 2X what anyone else is willing to pay.
hitztheball
Exactly, why would Hand sign with Tigers knowing he would be traded in a few months to a team he has no control to play for? As a free agent, he can choose what team to play for, and play the entire year there
Rangers29
He should be back in 21′, right? I hope he does well, I really do like him.
CalcetinesBlancos
Hm, I guess you might as well see if he can build up any value, although I’ll be floored if he turns it around.
Scrap1ron
Doesn’t it generally take two years to fully recover from Tommy John surgery? 3m should be worth the gamble to find out.. DET has so many holes that they’re not going to realistically compete this year anyway..
joedirte4life
Fulmer and Syndergaard are prime examples as to why you sell high on pitching.
king beas
Sure syndergaard got hurt and doesn’t have the value he used to but don’t put these two in the same boat fulmer looks awful and syndergaard has never been worse than a #3 when healthy
SalaryCapMyth
Ya, this is a really bad comparison. Syndergaard’s worst season would be Fulmer’s second best.
joedirte4life
Yea I’m not comparing pitchers from a statistical or ability standpoint. Only as pitchers whose teams held on to them too long. And getting nothing for them.
BobSacamano
I guess we’ll see. I believe he’ll be a competent ML pitcher for years to come.
tedtheodorelogan
They can cover his arb salary with 1 day of hot and ready sales.
tom brunanskys black sock
Man now I crave crazy bread. Do they still make those garlic slathered parmesan slime sticks?
Peart of the game
His groundball percentage was 36.0% last year.
TroyVan
Fuller’s 2020 season is in line with most pitchers that come off Tommy John, especially when you consider how COVID affected training.
I think you have to give a pitcher 2 full years to recover. Yeah, they’ll be back in 15 months (or whatever it is), but they probably won’t regain their form for 2 full years.
DodgerOK
MLB is the only business where you get a raise for a lousy performance?
not alkaline
Just a guess but I think Fulmers problem last year was his knee not fully healed. Fingers crossed he is healthy all around this year.
bjhaas1977
This guy is a great pitcher. Not a thrower. He’s still young and management still sees that and not everyone bounces back right away after surgery.
BobGibsonFan
A guy coming off Tommy john surgery to a team with no offense and a lousy catcher and back up infielders in the outfield… what could go wrong?
SportsFan0000
Fulmer will bounce back in ’21.
Tigers can keep him or deal him at the deadline or next offseason.
Tigers payroll is low so they can rebuild his value for a blockbuster return.