The San Francisco Giants are starting to feel like the West Coast chapter of the New York Mets alumni association. This offseason, the Giants have quietly built a roster that reads like a reunion tour, and their latest addition only adds to the growing list of familiar faces from Queens.
The newest name to join the Giants’ mix is Michael Fulmer, a former Mets prospect who’s signing on a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. It’s not a headline-grabbing move, but it’s one that fits the pattern San Francisco has been following all winter-bringing in veterans with ties to New York and giving them a shot at a fresh start.
Fulmer’s name might not jump off the page for casual fans, but for Mets faithful, it carries some real weight. He was part of one of the most talked-about trades in recent franchise history, the 2015 deadline deal that sent him and Luis Cessa to the Tigers in exchange for Yoenis Céspedes.
That move lit a fire under the Mets’ playoff push, with Céspedes launching 17 homers and driving in 44 runs during a second half that still lives in Mets lore. And who could forget that neon yellow arm sleeve?
At the time, Fulmer was the Mets’ No. 7 prospect, viewed as one of the better young arms in their system. The trade sparked the usual debate about whether it’s worth dealing top prospects for short-term gains. But in this case, the Mets got their spark, the fans got a magical run, and Fulmer went on to carve out a solid big-league career-proof that sometimes, both sides can walk away happy.
Now, Fulmer’s trying to write his next chapter in San Francisco. His 2025 season was a short one-just 5.2 innings split between the Cubs and Red Sox-as he worked his way back from a second Tommy John surgery that wiped out his entire 2024 campaign. The Giants are giving him a chance to prove there’s still something left in the tank, even if expectations are understandably tempered.
This isn’t about recapturing past glory. It’s about opportunity-for Fulmer, to show he can still compete at the highest level, and for the Giants, to see if there’s value in a low-risk, potentially high-reward arm.
And if nothing else, it continues a theme that’s become hard to ignore: San Francisco is becoming a quiet landing spot for former Mets looking to reboot their careers. With Adrian Houser and Harrison Bader already in the fold, Fulmer’s arrival adds another layer to the Giants’ offseason identity.
It’s not flashy. It’s not front-page news. But it’s the kind of move that could pay off in the margins-and in a long season, those margins matter.