Trade with Pirates equips Mariners' relief depth with 1st-rounder from forever ago

When it comes to first-rounders who the Mariners traded for, J.P. Crawford and Josh Naylor stand out on the current roster as successful acquisitions. Mitch Haniger is a prime example from the past (in his first trade to Seattle) along with Dan Wilson, who now obviously manages the team. However, the M's are really pushing their luck if they're hoping for similar results with the latest such addition, in Carson Fulmer.

The Mariners acquired Fulmer from the Pirates on Tuesday, and while it's not yet clear what the return will be, cash considerations seem like a fair assumption. The move for a relief pitcher became a necessity for the M's after Cooper Criswell was placed on the 15-day Injured List with a right shoulder strain. The bullpen is already under enough pressure as it is, due to having one less arm with the current six-man rotation setup.

Harsh or not, Fulmer doesn't exactly offer much in the way of reasons for confidence, with a career 5.44 ERA, 5.27 FIP, 1.457 WHIP and -0.2 rWAR in the majors. What's surprising to some is that he's still kicking around after nine years of service in the big leagues. In a lot of ways, that's the power of being a former first round draft pick.

Carson Fulmer is a prime example of unfulfilled potential

Fulmer was selected eighth overall out of Vanderbilt University in the 2015 draft by the White Sox, on the back of being named the National Pitcher of the Year. (He also helped the Commodores win the College World Series the previous year.) He was actually one of three Vanderbilt guys taken in the first round in 2015, along with Dansby Swanson and Walker Buehler. And MLB Pipeline thought enough of the righty, to rank him in 2016 as the No. 38 prospect in all of baseball.

Unfortunately for Fulmer it just hasn't panned out for him despite the scouts raving about his weapons, particularly his fastball and curveball. He looked tremendous early on in High-A, but then struggled as he advanced through the farm system. Even moving from the rotation to the bullpen didn't help, and he's been endlessly in search of a home since leaving Chicago in 2020.

This journey has taken Fulmer to the Tigers, Orioles, Reds, Dodgers, Angels and Pirates (two stints with each of the last two oganizations), before ending up in the Pacific Northwest. It will be interesting to see what the Mariners have planned for the 32-year-old, with it important to note he's out of options.

Whether he ends up on the 40-man roster or not though, this is about providing some depth capable of long-relief appearances, and it's best not to expect too much from him.

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