Yankees turn to former Cubs reliever for help in crowded AL Wild Card race

The New York Yankees are turning to a former Chicago Cubs reliever to stabilize their bullpen ahead of what figures to be an eventful conclusion to the American League Wild Card race. With Fernando Cruz facing the possibility of Tommy John Surgery, the Yankees have signed Michael Fulmer to a one-year deal and he has already made his debut in New York.

Fulmer pitched a scoreless inning during the Yankees' 9-3 win over the Astros on Wednesday. Previously this season, the 33-year-old had a stop with the Los Angeles Angels, putting together three scoreless outings.

Once an ascending pitching prospect with the Detroit Tigers, Fulmer has transitioned into a journeyman for major league bullpens. His first stop with the Cubs was in 2023, making 58 appearances while posting an ERA of 4.42.

UCL surgery washed away Fulmer's 2024 season, but he returned to the majors with the Boston Red Sox last year. He made one appearance before moving on, and there was a brief return to the Cubs where he stacked two scoreless outings before finding work elsewhere.

Former Cubs reliever suddenly joins Yankees for crucial AL Wild Card push

Chances are that Fulmer won't be long for the Yankees' bullpen, just given the track record of his career in recent years. But, if nothing else, he's immediate depth for the Yankees as they push toward the playoffs.

Like the Cubs in the National League, the Yankees hold the top spot in the American League Wild Card. The Boston Red Sox trail them by 2.5 games, and then the Cleveland Guardians would be the last team to make the playoffs in the American League. What makes the American League Wild Card race fascinating is that there remain nine teams within 5.5 games of a playoff spot. Even more bizarre, the Yankees, Red Sox, and Guardians are the only teams above .500 in that race.

For reference, in the National League, there are only five teams within four games of a Wild Card spot and each team is above .500. Along those lines, the Cubs did themselves no favors by dropping two of three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks this week. The Cubs still hold the tie-breaker over Arizona, who is suddenly one game behind the San Diego Padres for the last spot.

If the regular season ended today, the Cubs would be hosting the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field to open the playoffs.

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