White Sox: The rebuild is on as Carson Fulmer named fifth starter

According to the latest news about the White Sox, Carson Fulmer has officially been added to the 25-man roster.

After an up-and-down Spring Training, the White Sox are clearly going in the direction of a rebuild by adding the 24-year-old to the rotation.

He was selected instead of veteran Hector Santiago.

The news was shared by several outlets, but this Tweet from Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times says it all:

#whitesox starting rotation of (in order) Shields, Giolito, Lopez, Gonzalez, Fulmer "sounds right," manager Rick Renteria said.
— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) March 21, 2018

What about Rodon?

Of course, this could change when Carlos Rodon returns from his shoulder surgery. We reported on his possible return in June here. While he is out, Fulmer’s spot is his to lose.

The performance that helped Fulmer

Fulmer most likely cemented his spot in the rotation after his quality outing on March 19. His performance against the Diamondbacks needed to be flawless – or close to it. And, he delivered. He pitched four innings walking three batters and striking out four. He did not give up any hits or runs.

This was a big change after his 1.2 innings against the Brewers. In that game, he recorded seven earned runs and three of those were long balls. His March 19 outing proved that he can recover from a tough game, which is the sign of a maturing ball player. Unfortunately, Fulmer will most likely leave Spring Training with an embarrassing ERA around 10.00, even if he has another successful outing before March 29.

What about Santiago?

Interestingly, his biggest competition, Hector Santiago, pitched really well in his exhibition starts. He entered the White Sox camp as a non-roster invitee and has pitched like a veteran. His ERA in 12 innings is a lovely 0.75. Most of his innings have been in relief, which is exactly where the Sox should keep the veteran as they move north to the Southside. After a rough 2017 with the Twin, Santiago looks ready to go and the Sox could use a reliable veteran arm in the pen.

It would have been easy for the front office to give the starting spot to Santiago. The 30-year-old has a proven record, with the Sox. But instead, the front office chose to fully commit to the rebuild. Giving the fifth spot to Fulmer truly shows that the Sox are committed to developing this kid to a be a real, Major League pitcher.

Embrace the rebuild

It also means that fans have to recognize that Fulmer could have ups and downs in the season. In the perfect world, his ERA would never go over 3.00. But, in the real world, he probably won’t do that his rookie year.

Next: Choosing to enjoy the rebuild

A rebuild can be an exciting time. Watching Carson Fulmer develop before our eyes should be an enjoyable ride.

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