Blue Jays agree to minor-league deal with pitcher Al Alburquerque

[KingKat]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/blue-jays-agree-minor-league-deal-pitcher-al-alburquerque/

 

TORONTO – Reliever Al Alburquerque and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to terms on a minor-league deal that includes an invitation to spring training, an industry source told Sportsnet on Thursday morning.

The 31-year-old righty appeared in 21 games for the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox last season, allowing five earned runs over 18 innings with eight walks and 14 strikeouts. His fastball velocity also recovered to an average of 93.5 m.p.h. in 2017, up from 91.3 in a 2016 spent mostly in the minors with the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners.

Alburquerque, originally signed by the Chicago Cubs, emerged as a solid setup man with the Detroit Tigers early in his career, his best season coming in 2014, when he posted a 2.51 ERA in 57.1 innings over 72 games.

Over the course of 245 innings in 264 career big-league games, his fastball-slider repertoire has produced 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings and a 48.6 per cent ground-ball rate but also five walks per nine innings.

He joins a bullpen mix that features closer Roberto Osuna along with setup men Ryan Tepera, Dominic Leone, Danny Barnes and Aaron Loup. Youngsters Tim Mayza, Matt Dermody and Carlos Ramirez are also in the mix but have options and could open the season at triple-A Buffalo.

[BTS]

I don’t think I have the stomach to watch him.

[Boxcar]

Like this signing a lot. Albuquerque was really good pretty recently and if he's recovered velocity, this could be a sneaky good pickup with zero risk.

 

I kind of miss the days when AA was here because of the flashy trades (we'll never see a Donaldson trade with Shatkins) but our current FO has done a great job limiting risk while still acquiring quite a bit of upside.

[KingKat]

Can't really go wrong with a minor league signing but I'm particularly fond of this one. The front office likes guys who get strikeouts. He could be a very similar asset to what Benoit was in 2016. Guy who just comes in throw hard and enjoys short term success.

[Brownie19]

Can't really go wrong with a minor league signing but I'm particularly fond of this one. The front office likes guys who get strikeouts. He could be a very similar asset to what Benoit was in 2016. Guy who just comes in throw hard and enjoys short term success.

 

Benoit was 1 year removed from back to back 1.3 + 1.4 WAR seasons. Alburquerque hasn't really been good since his rookie year in 2011 guys. He ate some innings between 2013 and 2015. But he throws hard and misses bats. There's a very outside chance he's this year's Dom Leone.

[Krylian]

Worth a minor league signing just for his name alone.

[KingKat]

Benoit was 1 year removed from back to back 1.3 + 1.4 WAR seasons. Alburquerque hasn't really been good since his rookie year in 2011 guys. He ate some innings between 2013 and 2015. But he throws hard and misses bats. There's a very outside chance he's this year's Dom Leone.

 

There's a whole range of possible outcomes. If you can still get strikeouts (Benoit, Liriano, Grilli, Alburquerque) this fo seems to figure there might still be something there to tap into for a spell.

[Brownie19]

There's a whole range of possible outcomes. If you can still get strikeouts (Benoit, Liriano, Grilli, Alburquerque) this fo seems to figure there might still be something there to tap into for a spell.

 

Again, Benoit, Grilli and Storen had multiple and recent 1+ WAR seasons when they came to the Jays (Liriano had multiple, recent 3+ WAR seasons). Alburquerque's only ever had 1 and it was way back in 2011. Even while throwing hard and striking guys out, he was a 0.1 - 0.3 WAR pitcher between 2013 and 2015. He falls into the Leone, Gavin Floyd, Franklin Morales category, with a massive probability of being released in Spring Training. He's an arm and sometimes you find lightning in a bottle (ala Leone).

[Orgfiller]

Again, Benoit, Grilli and Storen had multiple and recent 1+ WAR seasons when they came to the Jays (Liriano had multiple, recent 3+ WAR seasons). Alburquerque's only ever had 1 and it was way back in 2011. Even while throwing hard and striking guys out, he was a 0.1 - 0.3 WAR pitcher between 2013 and 2015. He falls into the Leone, Gavin Floyd, Franklin Morales category, with a massive probability of being released in Spring Training. He's an arm and sometimes you find lightning in a bottle (ala Leone).

 

I think you're missing KK's point. It's not whether he has a track record or not, it's the fact that if you're going to roll the dice on a reliever, it's always better to get the high strikeout ones and hope they can figure out where the ball is going as the season goes along. Strikeouts are a big deal in relievers, and Alburquerque gets them in bunches, that's exactly the kind of guy you take a flier on. Franklin Morales was just awful and Gavin Floyd was an oft-injured starter, they're not comparable at all.

[glory]

Yeah, Shatkins acquired Grilli and Benoit when both guys were striking guys out but couldn't find the plate. They were fixed almost instantly after being acquired. Not saying all pitchers will work out like that, but the logic is sound. If you can miss bats, then harnessing control over a SSS is doable.

[The Iceman]

[Angrioter]

He suck