Fultz~!

[Raisor]

According to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon, the Reds signed veteran lefty reliever Aaron Fultz to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite. Fultz, 35, didn't pitch much in '08.

[Highlifeman21]

This has to mean that the Reds don't think that highly of Mr. Bill Bray.

[Topcat]

Originally Posted by Raisor

According to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon, the Reds signed veteran lefty reliever Aaron Fultz to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite. Fultz, 35, didn't pitch much in '08.

Raisor is it a dumpster dive or can this guy be last years Lincoln?

[reds44]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...2008&fext=.jsp

CINCINNATI -- The Reds signed veteran left-handed reliever Aaron Fultz to a Minor League contract this weekend. The deal, according to an industry source, came with an invitation to big league camp at Spring Training.
Fultz did not pitch in the Majors last season after he was released by the Indians in late March. He appeared in six Minor League games combined with the Rockies' Double-A affiliate and the Tigers' Triple-A club.

With Cleveland in 2007, Fultz was 4-3 with a 2.92 ERA in 49 games. An eight-year big league veteran of the Giants, Rangers, Twins, Phillies and Indians, the 35-year-old is 25-15 with a 4.26 ERA in 463 games.

Fultz is the second free agent to be signed to a Minor League deal by the Reds in the past week. Outfielder Laynce Nix was signed on Dec. 14 and invited to big league camp

[RedsManRick]

From his wikipedia page:

Before the 2008 season, Fultz's club option was picked up by the Indians. Yet on March 24, 2008, it was announced that Fultz would not be making the team after a poor spring. He put up an 11.88 ERA in seven games and gave 14 runs on 16 hits in 8 1/3 innings.[1] The following day, Fultz was designated for assignment and was released on March 28.

On March 29, 2008, Fultz signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers, but asked to be released by the team less then 3 weeks after signing the contract because he wasn't called up to the team.

On May 6, 2008, Fultz signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies but was released in June. He subsequently signed with the Somerset Patriots of the independent Atlantic League. On July 20, Fultz made a start for the Patriots against the Bridgeport Bluefish and allowed 5 runs in the 1st inning. He settled down in the following innings allowing just 1 run in the 4th but was saddled with the loss. On September 9, 2008, Fultz's contract was purchased by Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions of Taiwan's CPBL.

This is scary, per fangraphs. He lost 5 mph of a mediocre fastball from 2005-2007 while throwing his slider less and less often.

% Thrown (Avg Velocity)

Season	Team		FB		SL		CT	CB		CH		SF	KN	XX	PO
2005	Phillies	41.3% (89.0)	32.2% (81.9)	 	4.8% (75.6)	21.7% (80.1)	 	 	2.3%	 
2006	Phillies	40.5% (85.9)	28.8% (79.5)	 	7.8% (74.4)	22.9% (76.9)	 	 	4.6%	 
2007	Indians		52.8% (84.1)	16.4% (78.0)	 	8.5% (73.0)	22.3% (76.4)	 	 	2.6%

Originally Posted by Topcat

Raisor is it a dumpster dive or can this guy be last years Lincoln?

Lincoln was a guy coming back from injury. It looks like Fultz just lost it. Looks like a dumptser dive to me.

[Raisor]

Originally Posted by Topcat

Raisor is it a dumpster dive or can this guy be last years Lincoln?

Let the winning begin!

[Ron Madden]

Originally Posted by Raisor

According to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon, the Reds signed veteran lefty reliever Aaron Fultz to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite. Fultz, 35, didn't pitch much in '08.

The Reds do this kind of stuff every year.

I'ts really a very bad and nasty habit.

[Raisor]

Fultz~! is Kent Merker without the past success.

Is Jeff Shaw still not available?

[Falls City Beer]

Originally Posted by Ron Madden

The Reds do this kind of stuff every year.

I'ts really a very bad and nasty habit.

Minor league deals? Every team does them. All the time.

[Raisor]

Originally Posted by Falls City Beer

Minor league deals? Every team does them. All the time.

Reds minor league deals tend to turn into major league disasters.

[Falls City Beer]

Originally Posted by Raisor

Reds minor league deals tend to turn into major league disasters.

Yeah, but remember, this pitching staff is *stacked!*

But seriously, he'll have to be excellent to nail down a spot. Most of the spots are already accounted for, for better or worse. Though I wouldn't be surprised at all if Fultz puts up better numbers next season than Bray.

[Ron Madden]

Originally Posted by Falls City Beer

Minor league deals? Every team does them. All the time.

Yeh, every team signs crap as minor league filler.

The problem I have is the crap the Reds sign always finds a way to float into the Reds bullpen.

[M2]

I hope he makes the team just so we can use the phrase Fultz Metal Jacket.

[membengal]

Originally Posted by Highlifeman21

This has to mean that the Reds don't think that highly of Mr. Bill Bray.

Man, I sure don't read it that way at all, highlife.

Who is the second left-hander in the pen behind Bray? I would surmise that Fulz may be a flyer to give them another option at the tail end of the staff. At most.

[pahster]

Originally Posted by membengal

Who is the second left-hander in the pen behind Bray?

Arthur Rhodes.