Chicago White Sox: Carson Fulmer or Hector Santiago for final spot?
The Chicago White Sox are a week-and-a-half through Spring Training. As roster spots begin to be filled in, the battle for the final rotation spot is still up for grabs.
James Shields, Miguel Gonzalez, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, and who? That’s the nagging question surrounding the Chicago White Sox starting rotation.
The first four spots of the rotation are occupied, and the balanced mix of veterans and budding aces looks to be a solid front-four for the South Siders this year.
However, the question about who will fill the final spot still lingers.
Not having a full starting five at this point isn’t uncommon; some teams wait until Opening Week to name a rotation. But things are still undecided for the Chicago White Sox.
Right now, the competition for the final spot seems to be between two guys: Hector Santiago and Carson Fulmer.
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Fulmer, the White Sox’s 10th-ranked prospect, is considered the favorite. The 24-year old righty was the Chicago White Sox’ first-round pick in 2015.
Fulmer had a strong showing for the White Sox late last season, going 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA in five starts with the big league team.
However, Fulmer has struggled mightily thus far in spring training, giving up five runs in two innings, totaling a 22.50 ERA in two starts.
Hector Santiago pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 2011-2013, starting 23 games in 2013 and totaling a 3.56 ERA before being traded to the Los Angeles Angels in a three-team deal that sent Adam Eaton to Chicago.
Santiago was an All-Star for the Angels in 2015, going 9-9 with a 3.59 ERA in 32 starts. After that, he spent the last two seasons with the Twins in Minnesota but struggled mightily with a 5.63 ERA last season.
So far this spring, Santiago has been lights out. The lefty hasn’t allowed a run in his first seven innings, striking out eight in his first three appearances.
The decision will likely come down to one thing: consistency. Whoever has the more consistent month of March will likely earn the spot.
Carson Fulmer with three walks in the first inning. Just don't think he's ever going to throw enough strikes to pitch in a rotation or high-leverage situations.
— Christopher Crawford (@Crawford_MILB) March 4, 2018
This doesn’t mean that Fulmer’s horrendous start and Santiago’s red-hot start mean nothing. Coming into camp, Fulmer was the clear favorite. But now, it seems that Hector Santiago is within reach of the final spot.
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Whoever doesn’t get the final spot will likely still crack the roster as a member of the bullpen. It’s very unlikely that the team will decide to run out a six-man rotation to start out the season, in order to allow the young guys like Giolito and Lopez to get into a five-day routine.
The next few weeks will be crucial for Fulmer and Santiago. The close competition between the two for the final spot will be one of the biggest things for Chicago White Sox fans to watch throughout the remainder of the spring.