Starting Or Relieving, Fulmer Will Move Fast

CHICAGO—From the minute he was selected with the No. 8 overall pick in last June’s draft, Carson Fulmer’s future role with the White Sox has been debated.

Is he going to emerge as a starting pitcher? A reliever?

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“I view myself as a starter,” said Fulmer, who was 13-2, 1.82 in 17 starts at Vanderbilt last season. “I feel like I’ve built a really good endurance level. I feel like I’ve been able to keep my stuff late into games and that was definitely something I had go out and pitch to prove. But starting, relieving, whatever’s going to help the team and help them win a bunch of ballgames is the biggest thing for me. I’m definitely one to do whatever.”

After pitching 114 innings in college last year, Fulmer eased his way into professional baseball with the Sox and and pitched only 23 combined innings in the Rookie-level Arizona League and high Class A Winston-Salem.

This year, Fulmer is likely to begin the season with Double-A Birmingham. Considering his amateur resume, he could be with Chicago before the season ends.

“Given his ability, his repertoire, his makeup, I certainly understand the expectation and belief that it will be a fairly quick path through the minors,” White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. “But even a fairly quick path doesn’t mean less than a year after the draft. These things still normally take some time.”

The Sox drafted Carlos Rodon with the No. 3 overall pick in 2014, and the lefthander was also eased into pro ball. But after making just two starts with Triple-A Charlotte last season, Rodon joined the White Sox.

Rodon made his first three appearances out of Chicago’s bullpen before moving to the rotation for the rest of the season.

Ace Chris Sale also broke into the majors as a relief pitcher, and Fulmer is likely to initially pitch out of the bullpen when he does make it to the White Sox.

With four lefthanders—Sale, Jose Quintana, Rodon and John Danks—in the current rotation, the righthanded Fulmer is expected to provide some needed balance at some point.

CHI-LITES

• Chicago claimed outfielder Jerry Sands off waivers from the Indians. Sands played in 50 games with Cleveland last year and spent the rest of the season with Triple-A Columbus.

• Looking to add bullpen depth, the White Sox signed righthander Josh Wall to a minor league deal. Wall pitched at Triple-A Indianapolis in the Pirates system last year.