9:42am: Albers does not currently have an agreement in place with an MLB club, Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish reports (Twitter link). Rather, it’s simply expected that he will sign a two-year deal with someone within the next week. Darren Wolfson of KSTP adds in a tweet of his own that the Twins have not reached out to Albers.
8:17am: Free agent reliever Matt Albers is expected to sign next week, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. He’s expected to receive a two-year deal.
Albers has a wide variety of suitors given his recent performance with the Nationals. As Crasnick notes (and as MLBTR mentioned here), Albers had a 1.62 ERA in Washington this past season. While his .203 BABIP might seem to suggest that luck had something to do with it, it’s worth noting that the righty had the fourth-highest soft contact rate (30.9%) among MLB relievers with at least 50 innings pitched; those batted balls obviously go for outs a high percentage of the time. His 22.2% hard contact rate was also the third-best among bullpen arms, which paints a picture of a rare and valuable skill set. Albers posted some attractive peripheral stats too, including a 27% strikeout rate that was more than double his 2016 figure with the White Sox. He also managed a respectable 51% ground ball rate; success in that area long been his signature success as a major-leaguer.
Any team would likely benefit from adding Albers to their bullpen. A two-year contract, however, would mean that some team is placing a lot of faith in a player who has been inconsistent throughout the course of his career. Prior to 2017 Albers had a career 4.34 ERA to go with a 6.23 ERA K/9 and 3.80 BB/9. Perhaps some teams have found a reason to believe that his newfound success is sustainable over the long term.
The Astros originally selected Albers in the 23rd round of the 2001 draft. He made his major league debut with Houston in 2007, and pitched for the Orioles, Indians, Red Sox, Diamondbacks and White Sox before finding his way to the Nationals on a minor league deal this past March.
You’re such a tease, Jerry.
The team that will sign him is so ashamed they want it kept a secret until they’re forced to announce it.
lol.
hahaha great comment
His stats from last year make it hard for me to believe anyone would be embarrassed. Even close for 1 year could be worth eating 2019 if he pushes a bullpen over the edge.
Must be another Mets move lol
Hahaha
Sniff sniff! Smells like the reeeeTard in Philly doesn’t it?
Using the “r” word should get you banned.
I hope it does anyway!
The great Matt Albers mystery strikes again.
I hope the Cardinals sign this guy.
it’s the Nationals.
They need him again
Popcorn and beer is ready. Can’t wait for the announcement!
Mets are the mystery team
I’m thinking it’s Scott Boras’ mystery team…they are deciding to go into a different direction this offseason
Ha! If Boras’ mystery team signed all the players they were rumored to be linked to, their payroll would be pushing 1/2 Billion. Not to mention how old and past their prime that team would be by now.
I used to love when Mark Grant, an announcer for the Padres would say his name as he entered a game in the voice from Fat Albert, he’d say, Hey, Hey, Hey, It’s Matt Albers…
News flash!! We have recently learned that an unknown team will sign Bryce Harper to a mulit million dollar contract within a year…or so. Stay tuned for more information.
This is way more interesting if you read the headline as the team being unknown to Albers himself.
Give him the terms of a few contracts, he picks one and has to open an envelope to find out which team he just signed with…that would be awesome.
Oh please let it be this!
Could ESPN broadcast this too? It can be called The Envelope
Mlb network needs a whole show with this in December every year.
I don’t have the words to describe how incredible this idea is
Love this as a TV show but with Harper next offseason
*harper opens envelope with 10 year, 400 million contract with the Marlins, retires immediately*
I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s the Brewers. Albers was briefly an Astro in 2014 when Stearns was there. Stearns has shied away from what he thinks are the overpays for bullpen arms, but Albers at 35, with an up and down track record, should be slightly more reasonable.
I think it’ll be the Los Angeles California Angels of Anaheim.
Can’t be any worse than Torres or Drake.
Riveting
in related news:
he will get some money over those 2 years
Even the team that’s signing him wants to keep it secret from their fans. He is at a fat farm trying to lose 75pds so he resembles a athlete
I heard a rumor that a mystery team is signing Albers… Say what?
I guess a “Mystery team” is interested in most of the remaining FA’s as well…
Writters are becoming weather guys…just guessing and trowing spagetthi to walls..see what sticks…
It’s the Cubs, he misses Chicago pizza.
Could be Cleveland since they already lost three guys, and only picked up potentially one
Is albers a lefty. If he is I bet it’s the pirates. They need a lefty in the bullpen. I hope it isn’t. That’s all the pirates need is another overpaid old guy
Nope
It’s the Tribe ….hide and watch
I was going to say Cleveland too, but these recent contracts the FA relievers have signed will drive him out of their range.
This is where we’re at now … the Matt Albers saga ?
High ground ball rate? Sounds like the perfect fit for the Angels.
So basically Crasnick made a guess and reported it as a fact?
this original post said the nationals
In other news, JD Martinez expects to sign a deal sometime this offseason.
If he waits till July the tigers can resign him without forfeit a draft pick I’m pretty sure. Could be June tho
Did a fortune teller write this article? “As I gaze into the crystal ball I see a relief pitcher – a portly relief pitcher signing a 2-year contract some time next week. As I look closer the name on the jersey is Albers. Unfortunately everything went dark before I could see the logo on the jersey.” Crasnick thinks for a moment before saying to himself, “Yeah, I’m going to press with it.”
No one cares really who cares I mean the guy sucks well he’s okay but a mystery team to build anticipation r u kidding me
Can you imagine meeting Matt Albers at a Cici’s pizza, and he tries convincing you he’s a professional athlete while getting his fourth slice of macaroni and cheese pizza?
They make Mac n Cheese pizza? Wonder if that’s any good…
I think I speak for everyone when I say this is the guy that’s been holding up the market. Watch the dominos start to fall now!
He would sign this week, but he’s too busy eating.
He already has three chins! But you’ve got to give the guy credit – his wife is all but off the charts hot.
Can’t wait!!