Chicago White Sox will see Fulmer, Burdi in spring training
The big news at U.S. Cellular Field on Tuesday was not the Chicago White Sox adding three Class AAA Charlotte players to their expanded September roster.
For the record, the Sox recalled outfielder Jason Coats and infielder Leury Garcia from Charlotte and purchased relief pitcher Blake Smith's contract.
The big news at the Cell was not Miguel Gonzalez coming off the disabled list (strained right groin) and taking the mound against the Detroit Tigers.
The big news was the White Sox deciding not to bring up two other Charlotte pitchers - Carson Fulmer and Zack Burdi.
Fulmer, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 draft, joined the Sox from Class AA Birmingham right after the all-star break and made 8 relief appearances. The right-hander allowed 11 earned runs on 12 hits and 7 walks in 11⅔ innings before being optioned to Charlotte.
Fulmer made 4 starts at Triple-A and allowed only 1 earned run in 15 innings in the last three.
"He is squarely on our map to be able to help us in the very near future," said White Sox general manager Rick Hahn. "The fact is he's been at three levels this year. We've moved him from rotation to bullpen back to rotation. And the thought was bringing him up here now probably wasn't going to result in him getting a lot of quality innings for us down the stretch given who else is here.
"And we didn't want to continue to move him back and forth between roles. He's really taken to the adjustments in Charlotte. We view him as a potential starting piece for us in the future.
"He's going to head home on a high note based on his last couple of starts down in Charlotte. We'll see him in Glendale (Arizona, spring training)."
Burdi, the No. 26 overall draft pick in June, pitched at four minor-league levels (Arizona League, high Class A Winston-Salem, Birmingham, Charlotte) after signing with the Sox out of the University of Louisville. The right-hander with a 100-mph fastball had 51 strikeouts in 38 innings.
Burdi, a Downers Grove native, should be in the Sox's bullpen next season.
"Zack had a fantastic year," Hahn said. "He has appeared at four different levels for us this season. Between his time at Louisville and in the postseason pitching for Louisville, he's thrown 68 innings this year.
"Frankly, we felt enough was enough for him. We expect to see him in big-league camp and come in and show what he can do against big-league hitters at that time.
"At this point, we wanted him to finish the year on a positive note. We felt his workload was such that it didn't make a lot of sense to bring him up at this time."
Coats was in Tuesday's starting lineup at designated hitter, and Garcia started in center field for the White Sox.
Smith had his contract purchased after going 3-1 with a 3.53 ERA in 39 relief appearances. The 28-year-old right-hander did not allow a run in 17 of his final 18 games with Charlotte.
"Very interesting guy," Hahn said. "A converted outfielder, a second-round (draft) pick by the Dodgers as an outfielder. Has had a tremendous last 30 innings or so down there in Charlotte.
"Throws strikes. He keeps the ball down, has a plus curveball. We wanted to give him the chance to show what he can do here."