Possible Trade Target: Michael Fulmer, RHP

Position: Right-handed Reliever
Age: 29 (3/15/1993)
Stats: 2.16 ERA, 3.01 FIP, 0.7 fWAR, 25 IP, 9.36 K/9

With the Mets’ pitching staff continuing to battle injuries, it’s become clear that the team needs some arms. The bullpen currently sits 12th in MLB with a 3.68 ERA, but with Chasen Shreve and Seth Lugo having disappointing years and Trevor May and Colin Holderman still sidelined, expect the team to target relievers as the trade deadline approaches.

One arm that could help serve as a bridge to Edwin Díaz is former Met prospect Michael Fulmer. The Mets traded Fulmer as the centerpiece of the deal that brought Yoenis Céspedes to Flushing back in 2015, and the righty has rebounded well after battling some injuries. While he was an All-Star and Rookie of the Year as a starter, Fulmer has worked primarily as a reliever in the past two seasons and spent some time as Detroit’s closer a year ago. In 2021, Fulmer made 52 appearances and pitched to a 2.97 ERA/3.46 FIP with a 1.278 WHIP and 73 strikeouts in 69.2 innings (9.4 K/9) to go along with 14 saves. Fulmer’s 6.7-percent walk rate was his lowest since 2017 and his 3.65 K/BB ratio was the best of his career.

Fulmer has backed up last year’s resurgence by putting up a 2.16 ERA/3.01 FIP and a 0.920 WHIP with 26 strikeouts through 25 innings this season. Fulmer’s 26.3-percent strikeout rate is the best of his career. The 29-year-old has some strong peripherals too –– his xERA of 2.02 is among the top three percent in MLB, and his opponents have a just a .171 xBA, a .265 xSLG, a .205 wOBA, a .237 xWOBA, and .263 xWOBACON against him.

Much like Edwin Díaz, Fulmer has relied heavily on his slider this season, throwing it 59.1-percent of the time and yielding a 36.7-percent whiff rate with just a .082 batting average and .122 xSLG against the pitch. Of the 61 batted balls Fulmer has allowed this year, only one has been classified as a barrel.

However, some red flags come with Fulmer. His walk rate has spiked to 11.1 percent (4.0 BB/9), which is by far the worst mark of his career. Perhaps a little more concerning is Fulmer’s velocity, which has fallen on all of his pitches. Most significantly, the velocity on his sinker (which is his primary fastball) is down from 95.7 MPH last year to 93.8 MPH this season. While the whiff rate on almost all of his pitches has gone up, it’s hard to look past the decrease in velocity, especially given his injury history.

Contract Status

Given that Fulmer is making $4.9 million this year and is set to hit the free-agent market this off-season, he seems destined to get traded this summer, and he probably won’t command a big return. With the bullpen being one of the few weaknesses on this year’s team, the Mets should strongly consider reuniting with Fulmer.