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Diamondbacks Sign Neftali Feliz To Minor-League Deal

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January 29th, 8:37pm: The Diamondbacks have announced the signing.

January 28th, 5:44pm: The Diamondbacks have agreed to contract terms with right-hander Neftali Feliz, Robert Murray of FanRag Sports tweets. A source close to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation confirms the news, and Cotillo also adds that it’s a minor-league pact that includes an invitation to spring training.

Feliz’ future looked incredibly bright from the outset. Upon first reaching the majors in 2009, Feliz pitched out of the bullpen in 20 games for the Rangers to the tune of a remarkable 1.74 ERA. He followed up his opening act with an excellent 2010 campaign during which he saved 40 games for Texas while posting a spectacular 3.68 WPA en route to winning the Rookie of the Year award.

It wasn’t until 2012 that things took a turn for the worse. The Rangers opted to move Feliz to the rotation at the beginning of the year, and while his first seven starts looked good on the surface (3.14 ERA and a 3-1 record), his peripherals painted a dramatically different picture headlined by an ugly 4.85 BB/9. Feliz would ultimately undergo Tommy John surgery in 2013, missing the entire season. Upon his return in 2014, the righty posted a 1.99 ERA across 31 2/3 innings, but with an uninspiring 17.2% strikeout rate.

Feliz’ career seemed at its valley following the 2015 season. He was hit hard with the Rangers in 19 2/3 innings across April and May, prompting the club to cut him. His results down the stretch with the Tigers were even more disastrous. But when the Pirates took a chance on him the following season, he didn’t disappoint; Feliz made 62 appearances for the Bucs in 2016 while pitching to a 3.52 ERA and 3.72 xFIP. His velocity rebounded, his strikeout numbers were his career best for a full season, and he appeared to be positioning himself for a nice contract before being shut down on September 3rd due to an arm injury.

That injury wasn’t enough to deter the Brewers, however, who signed him to a one-year, $5.35MM deal to be their 2017 closer. Feliz wasn’t quite able to deliver on that investment, however, and on June 19th the club bet instead on the young Corey Knebel by releasing Feliz. He latched on with the Royals, and pitched 19 innings of 4.74-ERA baseball for them across the remainder of the campaign.

Feliz joins Antonio Bastardo, Kris Medlen, Fernando Salas, Yoshihisa Hirano and Jake Buchanan as bullpen candidates to sign minor-league deals with Arizona within the past 40 days. That means he’ll face a crowded competition for a few available reliever jobs behind Archie Bradley, Brad Boxberger, Andrew Chafin, T.J. McFarland and Randall Delgado.

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/29/18

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We’ll collect the minor league transactions from today in this post…

  • The Cardinals have added right-handed starter Nestor Molina (no relation) on a minor-league contract, says Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. Formerly a top prospect in the Blue Jays’ system, Molina is perhaps best known for being traded to the White Sox in exchange for Sergio Santos during the 2011-2012 offseason. The 29-year-old has never pitched at the MLB level, and has spent the bulk of the past two years pitching in the Mexican league. During the 2017 campaign, he pitched 152 2/3 innings across 23 starts to the tune of a 1.89 ERA. He’ll serve as an interesting depth piece for a Cardinals organization that has some question marks in its rotation, though it should be noted that Molina has only ever pitched four innings above the Double-A level.
  • The Brewers have re-signed 27-year-old second baseman Gabriel Noriega to a minors pact, the team’s player development account announced today on Twitter. Noriega’s spent ten years in the minors, shuffling between the Royals, Mariners, Brewers and Diamondbacks organizations. He’s hovered around a 50 wRC+ over the past two seasons in the upper minors. Noriega was originally signed out of Venezuela by the Mariners, and remained in the club’s farm system through the 2014 season.
  • The Nationals inked Reid Brignac to a minors pact that includes a spring training invite, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports on Twitter. Brignac, 32, has seen time at the major league level with the Braves, Marlins, Phillies, Rockies, Yankees and Rays while playing mostly at shortstop. Though he’s played below replacement level in each of the past seven seasons, Brignac has generally been an above-average defender. Perhaps that could be reason enough for Washington to look past his career .219/.264/.309 slash line and give him a shot at a utility infielder role.

A’s Acquire Ryan Buchter, Brandon Moss From Royals For Jesse Hahn, Heath Fillmyer

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The Royals and Athletics have agreed to a four-player swap. Left-hander Ryan Buchter and first base/DH-type Brandon Moss will head to Oakland in the deal, while right-hander Jesse Hahn and minor-league righty Heath Fillmyer are ticketed for Kansas City. The Royals also included $3.25MM in cash as part of the deal. Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com was first with the news.

Though Moss is certainly the biggest name of the four, Buchter is actually the prize for the Athletics in this deal. In fact, the inclusion of Moss in the deal is probably more related to financial implications. Indeed, Royals GM Dayton Moore told Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star that “The economic part of it is very real to us,” which has in turn led to some speculation throughout the industry that the Royals are attempting to clear salary in order to make re-signing Eric Hosmer more feasible. Moore responded to an inquiry from Flanagan on the subject, telling him that it would be “inappropriate” for him to comment on a free agent right now. However, he did add that he’s been “very clear” about what the team’s thoughts are on Hosmer.

Turning away from speculation and rumors and focusing on the here-and-now of the deal, the A’s will fill a bullpen need by getting a much-needed lefty. Prior to this trade, the only southpaw reliever in their projected bullpen was Daniel Coulombe. Buchter will serve as a long-term piece for the budding A’s (perhaps into their next window of contention), as he’s under team control through the end of the 2021 season. The Royals, meanwhile, will add a new potential candidate to their rotation. Per Moore’s conversation with Dodd, Hahn will compete during spring training for a spot in Kansas City’s rotation.

Ryan Buchter | Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Buchter’s a rare type of pitcher who’s been able to consistently out-perform his peripheral statistics. The soon-to-be 31-year-old has a career 2.85 ERA against a 4.68 xFIP. The latter statistic normalizes a pitcher’s homer/fly ball ratio as a method of estimating a pitcher’s true run-prevention skills, but it doesn’t account for the fact that many of Buchter’s fly balls are actually infield pop-ups, which go for outs nearly 100% of the time. Over the past two seasons combined, Buchter’s 16.7% infield fly ball rate (IFFB) ranks 10th in the majors among qualified relievers. He also ranks 14th during that span with a 26% soft contact rate against.

Buchter is even tougher against lefties, limiting them to a .160/.255/.306 batting line during his MLB career. The late-blooming Buchter spent a whopping eight seasons in the minors before finally making his debut with the Braves in 2014, and was shuffled through the Triple-A affiliates of the Dodgers and Cubs before finally latching on in the majors with the Padres in 2016. Interestingly, the A’s were reportedly competing with the Padres for his services as a MiLB free agent.

As for Moss, 34, he’ll return to the team with which he broke out in 2012. That’s just about the only clarity surrounding his presence in Oakland, however. Athletics GM David Forst has already told him that it’s not clear how he fits on the roster (per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). With young phenom Matt Olson earmarked for the first base job and Khris Davis likely to assume full-time DH duties, the declining Moss doesn’t have a clear path to everyday at-bats. His sub-replacement-level 2017 performance (.207/.279/.428) was a far cry from his peak years in Oakland during which he slugged 76 homers and put up a .844 OPS across 1,381 plate appearances.

Hahn’s had a roller coaster career. The right-hander showed great promise early on, posting a 3.07 ERA and 3.59 xFIP across 12 starts following his major-league debut with the Padres in 2014. Prior to the 2015 season, he was shipped to Oakland in the Derek Norris trade, and continued to impress with a 3.35 ERA and 52.6% ground ball rate through the first day of July. However, a flexor tendon injury sidelined him for the rest of the season, and although he’s shown flashes of brilliance since, he’s not yet been able to maintain good numbers over the course of a full season. Hahn’s posted a 5.59 ERA with a 6.05 K/9 and 3.57 BB/9 across 23 games (22 starts) across the past two years while battling a number of injuries.

Fillmyer, 23, started 29 games for Oakland’s Double-A affiliate last season while pitching to a 3.49 ERA. MLB Pipeline considered him to be the team’s 18th-best prospect in 2017, noting his quick arm and a fastball that can reach 96MPH with good sinking action. Though his control and command took a step backwards last season, their report suggests that he can become a back-end starter at the MLB level. Fillmyer was selected by the A’s in the fifth round of the 2014 draft.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Brewers Sign Lorenzo Cain

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January 29th, 6:10pm: Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports has the details on some incentives in Cain’s contract (Twitter links). The outfielder will reportedly earn $300K every time he makes the All-Star team. He’ll also earn $500K if he’s ever named league MVP, $250K if he finishes second through fifth in the MVP voting, and $125K if he finishes 6th through 10th. Cain can also make an extra $50K by winning the World Series MVP award, and he’ll pocket $25K any time he wins a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, or LCS MVP. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports confirms the incentives, and notes that the Brewers will also reserve a suite for Cain at Miller Park during 20 games each season, while pointing out that the estimated value of Cain’s contract with deferments in mind is actually $78,917,630.

January 26th, 2:48pm: Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Cain will earn $13MM in 2018, $14MM in 2019, $15MM in 2020, $16MM in 2021 and $17MM in 2022 (Twitter links). He’ll also receive an additional, deferred payment of $1MM in each of the five years following the contract’s conclusion. The no-trade provision offers complete protection in year one of the deal and limited protection each season thereafter, dropping down to five teams in the final year of the contract. More specifically, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy adds that Cain can block deals to 15 teams in 2019, seven teams in 2020 and five in 2021-22.

12:00pm: In a stunning turn, the Brewers even further bolstered their outfield, announcing on Friday that they’ve signed Lorenzo Cain to a five-year pact that will reportedly guarantee him $80MM. The All Bases Covered client will reportedly pick up no-trade rights as well, with full protection early in the contract and more limited no-trade provisions in its later years.

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Cain will join Christian Yelich in a stunningly re-made Milwaukee outfield — opening up new avenues for trades of existing players that could shake the market. The signing also breaks open a moribund free agent signing period, with a premium player scoring a big contract for the first time in weeks.

Entering the day, the Brewers featured Ryan Braun and Domingo Santana in the corners, with a trio of young options — Keon Broxton, Lewis Brinson, and Brett Phillips — up the middle. Now, Brinson is out, Cain and Yelich are in, and the remaining players (excepting, perhaps, Braun) appear to be possible trade chips.

[RELATED: Updated Brewers Depth Chart]

Milwaukee had a clear need to improve its rotation when the winter started, particularly given uncertainty surrounding righty Jimmy Nelson. The organization has decided first to improve the outfield, though that could all be part of a plan to move other assets for starting pitching. Santana and Phillips could both be hotly pursued assets, with a variety of teams — the Athletics, Braves, and Rays all make some degree of sense on paper — potentially representing suitors with some pitching on offer.

As much as the signing could mean for the trade market, it’s a welcome sign for players anxiously watching a slow-motion free agent period. In MLBTR’s top 50 free agent ranking, we predicted that Cain would secure $70MM over four years, so this represents a strong contract for the excellent but soon-to-be 32-year-old outfielder. The contract is the first this winter that guarantees more than three seasons and more than $60MM. Cain becomes only the second of MLBTR’s ten top-rated free agents who has signed to this point.

It’s equally intriguing to consider the teams that missed out on Cain. Crasnick again has the details, tweeting that the Dodgers, Cubs, Giants, and Indians were involved in the market. While San Francisco was long known to have interest, tempered by its luxury tax considerations, the other clubs are all rather eye-opening pursuers in various regards. Los Angeles has been tough to decipher all winter long as it watches its own payroll. The Cubs have a fairly well-stocked outfield mix but seem to have irons in a variety of fires. And the Indians have signaled they don’t have much more to spend, but were evidently still willing to consider a major win-now move (presumably with other salary-shedding efforts to accompany it).

It seems hard to recall after his years in Kansas City, but Cain was once a Brewer. Indeed, he joined the Milwaukee organization as a 17th-round pick way back in 2004. As Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel notes on Twitter, both Cain and Jeremy Jeffress have returned to the Brewers after being dealt to the Royals in the 2010 Zack Greinke swap.

In the interim, Cain has emerged as a star. He reached his career pinnacle in 2015, turning in elite efforts at the plate, on the bases, and in the field to rack up 6.5 fWAR. After a step back in the ensuing season, which was marred in part by injury, Cain emerged again in 2017.

While initial reports connecting Cain to Milwaukee this offseason came as somewhat of a surprise, it appears he’s been on their radar since the onset of free agency. “They said from the minute free agency opened that I was on the top of their list,” Cain said in a chat with MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan.. “We just had to work through all the details, and eventually we both got to the numbers we liked.”

Even if Cain’s superstar-level ’15 output isn’t likely to be repeated, the Brewers will hope he can keep up his most recent efforts. Last year, Cain dropped his strikeout rate to a career-low 15.5%, walked at a career-best 8.4%, compiled 15 home runs and 26 steals, and ended with an even .300 batting average. While metrics now grade him more as a good than a great fielder in center, Cain remains a high-quality all-around performer.

Since Cain rejected a qualifying offer from the Royals, draft compensation will result from the signing. As an organization that received revenue sharing and did not go past the competitive balance tax line in 2017, Milwaukee will have to sacrifice its third-highest draft pick. Notably, MLBTR has confirmed that Competitive Balance draft picks are exempt from this type of forfeiture, however, meaning the Brewers will only have to surrender their third-round selection. For the Royals, bidding adieu to Cain — since he signed for more than $50MM — will mean recouping a pick after the end of the first round of the 2018 draft.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the agreement (via Twitter). ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reported the terms of the deal (Twitter links).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Yankees To Sign Danny Espinosa To Minor-League Deal

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The Yankees have elected to add 30-year-old infielder Danny Espinosa on a minor-league deal, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports on Twitter. He’ll receive an invitation to spring training camp, where he’ll compete for the Yankees’ second base job.

Prior to the 2017 season, Espinosa had played exclusively for the Nationals. While he spent most of his career as a reserve infielder, a strong finish to the 2015 season earned him a full time role in 2016 during which he batted .208/.306/.378 while homering 24 times and stealing nine bases. However, he struggled mightily last season across 295 combined plate appearances between the Angels, Rays and Mariners… Espinosa managed just a .523 OPS while striking out nearly 37% of the time.

Espinosa’s true calling card is his excellent defense in the middle infield; he’s been worth a total of 34 runs saved between shortstop and second base over the course of his eight-year MLB career. However, even that once-spectacular defense declined a bit last season. Fangraphs gave him a 2.6 defense rating, which is a career low for the veteran. All told, he played at a full win below replacement level for the 2017 campaign, and he’ll have to rebound significantly in order to convince the Yankees he’s deserving of a roster spot.

With Starlin Castro now in Miami, the 25-year-old Ronald Torreyes figures to be Espinosa’s biggest competitor for the job out of spring training camp. Of course, it’s probably a moot point considering the club is likely just looking for a temporary stopgap until top prospect Gleyber Torres is ready to claim the starting job at the keystone.

Espinosa was Washington’s third round pick in the 2008 draft (87th overall). His MLB debut came on September 1st, 2010, during which he had one hit and an RBI in 2 at-bats. The California State University Long Beach product provided 11.3 WAR during his time with the Nationals prior to a trade that sent him to the Angels in exchange for two minor-league pitchers.

East Notes: Realmuto, Albers, Britton

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Unwilling to part with either Victor Robles or Juan Soto in J.T. Realmuto talks with the Marlins, the Nationals are instead open to centering a package for the star catcher around prospects Carter Kieboom and Erick Fedde, reports MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. The pair rank third and fourth among Nationals farmhands per both Baseball America and MLB.com, though neither Kieboom nor Fedde are considered among baseball’s 100 best prospects per those same publications. Emphasis on acquiring such players can at times be overstated, but many would be surprised if the Marlins didn’t pull at least one premium talent back for Realmuto. Meanwhile, Frisaro lists the Diamondbacks as another “potential suitor,” though he doesn’t specify the extent (if any) of the talks between the two sides, and the D-backs have a rather thin farm system overall.

More chatter from the East Coast…

  • While some in the Nationals front office saw signs of sustainability within Matt Albers’ performance for the club last season, others weren’t convinced of his likelihood to repeat that performance for the entirety of a two-year contract (Twitter link from Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post). Since Albers sought (and ultimately found) a two-year agreement, Washington decided to hedge its bets elsewhere. The 35-year-old right-hander enjoyed an excellent 2017 season, pitching to a 1.62 ERA with 9.30 K/9 against 2.51 BB/9, but the risk in signing him to a multi-year deal probably lies in a .203 BABIP that seems likely to regress somewhat. On the other hand, he was one of the best relievers in baseball at inducing soft contact and preventing hard contact, so that’s at least a point in favor of low BABIP sustainability.
  • Orioles reliever Zach Britton said that he’s “feeling really good” during a conference call at the O’s Fanfest (via Paul Folkemer of baltimorebaseball.com). The lefty recently had his second of three follow-ups with his doctor after rupturing his Achilles tendon during a December workout. “He was really happy with where I’m at,” Britton said. “Maybe a little ahead of schedule. Not skipping any steps, but just picking up the pace on things that I’m doing now. More walking, getting comfortable in a tennis shoe again, and things like that.” The soon-to-be free agent will reportedly be at spring training with the Orioles in Sarasota, Florida, though he won’t be at “full go.” An early return for their closer would be a huge boost to Baltimore whether they’re contenders or not. He’d dramatically improve the club’s chances to make the playoffs if he can replicate anything close to his 2015-2016 form down the stretch, but if the O’s are out of it before the trade deadline he could very well net a solid prospect return.

Tigers Sign Travis Wood To Minor League Deal

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The Tigers announced Monday that they’ve signed left-hander Travis Wood to a minor league contract and invited him to Major League Spring Training. Wood was released by the Padres earlier this offseason. He’s represented by Frontline.

Wood, 30, signed a two-year, $12MM contract with the Royals last winter but struggled enormously both in Kansas City and in San Diego this past season. The former Cubs lefty posted an ERA north of 6.70 with both teams last year, working to an overall 6.80 ERA with 6.2 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 and a 1.8 HR/9 mark in 94 innings. He’s still owed $6.5MM in 2018, but the Royals agreed to pay the entirety of that sum when he was traded to San Diego, so Wood represents a lottery ticket for a Tigers staff that could use him in either the rotation or bullpen if he shows signs of returning to form in Spring Training.

Brutal as his 2017 campaign was, it wasn’t that long ago that Wood was an effective big league arm. From 2015-16, Wood totaled 161 2/3 innings with a 3.51 ERA, 9.2 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and 1.1 HR/9 between nine starts and 122 relief appearances for the Cubs. Overall, he logged a 3.94 ERA in just shy of 700 innings in parts of five seasons in Chicago. For a Tigers club that is short on depth in both the rotation and the bullpen, Wood is a reasonable enough roll of the dice.

The Tigers’ rotation currently projects to contain Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd, Jordan Zimmermann and Mike Fiers, though Wood could certainly seize a spot in the event of an injury or some early struggles from the yet-unproven Norris and Boyd. In the bullpen, manager Ron Gardenhire has lefties Daniel Stumpf, Blaine Hardy and Jairo Labourt to choose from, but Wood can certainly push that trio for innings if he shows well in Grapefruit League play.

Dodgers Notes: Jansen, Darvish, Kemp

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In the latest example of player frustration over the stagnant free-agent market, Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen illustrated that it’s not only unsigned players that are unhappy with how the offseason has played out. “Maybe we have to go on strike, to be honest with you,” Jansen told reporters at the team’s Fan Fest over the weekend (link via Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times). “…That is something we might have to address, so you don’t have a lot of Miami Marlins doing this. Maybe it’s an adjustment for us, as the players’ union.” Certainly, Jansen’s comments don’t speak for all players, but it’s nonetheless notable that the unrest has reached the point where such a prominent name is even suggesting it as a hypothetical. Jansen adds that he plans to speak with the union about his concerns. It’s likely, too, that he’ll have others who share his sentiment against the backdrop of the slowest free-agent market in MLB history. Of course, the current collective bargaining agreement runs through 2021, decreasing the chances of any near-term action being taken.

More out of Los Angeles…

  • In his latest Dodgers mailbag, Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times writes that Yu Darvish has “made it clear” that he’d like to return to the Dodgers, which is part of the reason that his market hasn’t moved forward. Darvish, according to McCullough, has been waiting to see if the Dodgers will be able to shed any money; McCullough notes that they’ve explored dealing from positions of depth by gauging interest in well-compensated veterans such as Yasmani Grandal, Logan Forsythe and Hyun-Jin Ryu, though clearly nothing much has come of those endeavors to date. The fact that he’s waited this long suggests some degree of mutual interest, though the Cubs, Twins and Brewers have been most prominently linked to Darvish in recent weeks.
  • McCullough also reports that the chances of Matt Kemp actually making the Dodgers’ roster out of Spring Training are “remote.” While Kemp is in better physical condition than he was in 2017 and will get some at-bats in the left field mix (where he’ll also get a chance to showcase himself for AL clubs), a team official tells McCullough that the reason Kemp wasn’t invited to the Dodgers’ Fan Fest was to avoid putting him in the uncomfortable position of having to answer questions about his future with the team. The Dodgers have Yasiel Puig, Chris Taylor, Joc Pederson, Andrew Toles, Enrique Hernandez and Alex Verdugo all on the depth chart as well.
  • MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick also has quotes from GM Farhan Zaidi, manager Dave Roberts and Jansen about Kemp’s return. Zaidi notes that the Dodgers made the trade for Kemp knowing that they may not be able to find another taker and are prepared to hang onto him if he proves he can be an asset in Spring Training. “It’s our responsibility to keep our options open, to let it play out,” said Zaidi. “And if he can help us on the field, that’s what everybody wants.” Roberts, meanwhile, downplayed the previously rocky relationship between Kemp and Puig. “That was three years ago,” said the manager, noting that both players want to win. Both Roberts and Jansen suggested that is a welcome addition back to the clubhouse/roster.

Rockies Sign Brooks Pounders To Minor League Deal

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The Rockies announced a host of invitations to Major League Spring Training on Monday, including a new minor league contract with right-hander Brooks Pounders.

Pounders, 27, has appeared for the Royals and Angels in the past two seasons, totaling a combined 23 innings but struggling to a dismal 9.78 ERA in that time. The former second-round pick has logged an impressive 25-to-8 K/BB ratio in that time, but he’s an extreme fly-ball pitchers (29.9 percent ground-ball rate, 51.9 percent fly-ball rate) and has been tattooed for a whopping 10 homers in his brief MLB tenure (3.9 HR/9).

A former second-round pick (Pirates, 2009), Pounders has posted markedly better numbers in parts of three Triple-A seasons. In his time at the minors’ top level, he’s worked to a tidy 2.94 ERA with 9.5 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and 0.8 HR/9 in 131 2/3 innings. He’ll have a crowded bullpen picture to try to crack thanks to Colorado’s offseason signings of Wade Davis, Jake McGee and Bryan Shaw, but he’ll provide the team with some depth it can stash in the upper minors should injuries thin out the big league club.

Brewers Agree To Terms With Matt Albers

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12:02pm: Nicholson-Smith tweets that Albers will have a $2.5MM base salary in each season of the contract, and his incentives begin kicking in with his 35th appearance. He’d max out his incentives by appearing in 65 games in each season of the contract.

11:50am: The Brewers and free agent righty Matt Albers have reached an agreement on a two-year deal, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter link). Albers, a client of SSG Baseball, will be guaranteed $5MM on the contract and can earn another $1MM each year based on total appearances, according to Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith (Twitter link). The deal is pending a physical.

Matt Albers | Patrick McDermott-USA TODAY Sports

Albers, who turned 35 last week, was the most consistent member of the Nationals’ bullpen in 2017, pitching to a pristine 1.62 ERA with 9.3 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, 0.89 HR/9 and a 51 percent ground-ball rate through 61 innings of work. It represented a terrific bounce-back campaign for Albers, who’d limped to a 6.31 ERA in 51 1/3 innings with the White Sox in 2016.

There are, it should be noted, some indications that Albers had his share of good fortune in 2017, as well, though. His 8.7 percent swinging-strike rate was below the league average and not what one would expect from a pitcher that whiffed better than a batter per inning — a feat he’d achieved in only one season prior to 2017 (with the Red Sox way back in 2011). Albers also benefited from a minuscule .203 BABIP, though while that mark is in for some regression, the extent of said regression may not be as great as one might think at first glance.

Albers posted a hefty 15.9 percent infield-fly rate in 2017, and his batted-ball profile was among the most encouraging of any reliever in the game. Albers allowed a measly 22.8 percent hard-hit rate against him, which was the third-lowest mark in MLB among qualified relievers. He also induced 30.9 soft-contact rate, which was good for the fourth-best in the bigs.

Since establishing himself as a regular big league reliever back in 2009, Albers has been a rather durable asset, appearing in 55+ games in seven of those nine seasons. He was limited to 37 1/3 innings in 2015, though that year was truncated by a broken finger rather than any sort of arm injury. Shoulder trouble kept him out of action for all but 10 innings of the 2014 season, but that’s been the only instance of a notable arm injury keeping him on the shelf for a prolonged period in nearly a decade’s time.

[Related: Updated Milwaukee Brewers depth chart]

Albers won’t factor into the closing mix in Milwaukee, where Corey Knebel is fresh off a breakout season in which he stepped into the spotlight as one of the game’s top strikeout artists. However, the veteran Albers will join lefty Boone Logan as a newly signed addition to manager Craig Counsell’s relief corps, where he’ll pair with Jacob Barnes, Jeremy Jeffress and Josh Hader to help bridge the gap from the team’s rotation to Knebel at the end of the game.

It’s been an aggressive week for Milwaukee, of course, as GM David Stearns and his staff have also signed Lorenzo Cain and pulled off a blockbuster to acquire Christian Yelich within the past four days alone. Brewers owner Mark Attanasio gave signals over the weekend, too, that the Brew Crew still has the payroll capacity to add a top starting pitcher if Stearns & Co. feel the right deal presents itself.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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