Angels Sign Former Tiger Al Alburquerque To 1-Year Deal
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels have signed veteran reliever Al Alburquerque to a one-year, $1.1 million contract.
The Angels confirmed the signing Friday night.
Alburquerque went 4-1 with a 4.21 ERA in a career-high 62 innings of relief for Detroit last season.
He had spent his entire five-year big-league career with the Tigers, going 17-6 with a 3.20 ERA and 276 strikeouts. Detroit elected not to tender a contract to him this winter.
The Dominican right-hander's powerful fastball has declined in recent seasons, but he still has strikeout abilities and a high swing-and-miss ratio.
Alburquerque could fill a key role for the Angels, who traded hard-throwing young reliever Trevor Gott to Washington in a deal for veteran third baseman Yunel Escobar. Gott was manager Mike Scioscia's seventh-inning specialist last season.
Los Angeles also exchanged arbitration proposals with right-handed starter Garrett Richards and right fielder Kole Calhoun, their remaining unsigned players.
Richards is asking for $7.1 million, and the Angels countered with $5.3 million. He made $3.2 million last year while winning 15 games and establishing himself as a top AL starter.
The Gold Glove-winning Calhoun asked for $3.9 million in his first year of arbitration eligibility, and the Angels countered with $2.35 million. The slugger made $537,500 last season while posting career highs of 26 homers and 83 RBIs.
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