The San Francisco Giants have added a few more names to their spring training roster, and while most of them were already in the system or previously reported, two veterans stand out as fresh faces: right-hander Michael Fulmer and outfielder Jared Oliva. Both are arriving on minor league deals with invites to big league camp, giving the Giants a chance to see if either can carve out a role in 2026.
Let’s start with Fulmer, who’s had one of the more winding roads in recent memory. He’s set to turn 33 in March and has experienced both the highs of award-winning success and the lows of tough injury setbacks.
Giants fans will remember him from his early days with the Tigers, where he burst onto the scene in 2016, earning AL Rookie of the Year honors as a frontline starter. But the momentum didn’t last.
Tommy John surgery sidelined him for all of 2019, and when he returned, the Tigers moved him to the bullpen after some uneven results as a starter.
As a reliever, Fulmer found a groove between 2021 and 2023. Over those three seasons, he logged 177 appearances with a solid 3.55 ERA, a 24.6% strikeout rate, and a 40% ground ball rate. He wasn’t elite, but he was dependable-until another elbow issue required revision surgery on his UCL, costing him the entire 2024 season.
Fulmer made it back to the mound in 2025 but couldn’t quite stick in the majors. He bounced between Triple-A affiliates for the Red Sox, Cubs, Mariners, and Royals, making just three big league appearances all year.
Still, his minor league numbers were encouraging: 66 1/3 innings, 3.39 ERA, and a strong 31% strikeout rate. The walk rate (10.5%) was a bit on the high side, but the swing-and-miss stuff was clearly still there.
For a Giants bullpen that’s seen some serious turnover, Fulmer’s addition is more than just organizational filler-it’s a potential lifeline. San Francisco dealt away key relievers Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval at the trade deadline, and then lost Randy Rodríguez to Tommy John surgery in September. Outside of some low-risk additions like Sam Hentges and Jason Foley, the bullpen hasn’t been meaningfully reinforced.
Fulmer, along with fellow non-roster invitee Gregory Santos, gives the Giants some experienced depth with upside. If Fulmer can stay healthy and harness the stuff that made him a force in the middle innings just a few years ago, he could absolutely pitch his way back into a meaningful role.
Then there’s Jared Oliva, a 30-year-old outfielder who’s trying to claw his way back to the majors after a brief stint with the Pirates in 2020 and 2021. In those 26 games, he struggled at the plate, slashing just .179/.220/.214 across 59 plate appearances. But he’s kept grinding in the minors, and last year with the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate, he put together a respectable .252/.335/.413 line.
What really jumps out with Oliva is his speed. He’s been a consistent base-stealing threat throughout his minor league career and swiped 57 bags last season. That kind of speed is always intriguing, especially in today’s game where aggressive base running is making a comeback.
The Giants’ outfield picture heading into camp is already fairly crowded. Harrison Bader, Jung Hoo Lee, and Heliot Ramos look like the projected starters, with a group that includes Jerar Encarnación, Drew Gilbert, Luis Matos, and Grant McCray all competing for depth roles.
But if there’s an injury or an opening for a speed-first bench piece, Oliva’s wheels could give him a shot to stick. And with minor league options still in his back pocket, the Giants have the flexibility to stash him if needed.
Both Fulmer and Oliva are long shots to break camp with the big league club, but they represent the type of low-risk, potentially high-reward bets that can quietly pay off over a 162-game season. For a Giants team that’s retooling and looking for value wherever it can find it, these spring invites are worth watching.