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Al Alburquerque

Royals Designate Al Alburquerque For Assignment

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The Royals have designated right-hander Al Alburquerque for assignment, tweets Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com.

Alburquerque, whom the Royals signed to a minor league deal over the winter, debuted with the big club earlier this month and ended up tossing four innings before losing his 40-man spot. The 30-year-old gave up three earned runs on two hits and three walks during that short span, though he did strike out six.

Alburquerque was once a prominent reliever in Detroit, where he recorded a 3.20 ERA, 11.04 K/9, 5.0 BB/9 and a 47 percent ground-ball rate over 225 innings from 2011-15. But his velocity has dropped since his tenure with the Tigers came to an end, and he has combined for just six major league frames dating back to 2016, when he worked a pair of innings with the Angels.

Royals Designate Christian Colon, Peter O’Brien For Assignment

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The Royals announced on Wednesday that they’ve selected the contracts of right-handers Seth Maness (as Derrick Goold first reported earlier this morning) and Al Alburquerque from Triple-A Omaha. In order to clear spots on the 40-man roster, Kansas City designated infielder Christian Colon and minor league outfielder Peter O’Brien for assignment. Additionally, righty Jake Junis was optioned to Omaha.

Kansas City was obviously looking to get some fresh arms into the bullpen, and they’ve chosen two veterans who are looking to get their careers back on track. Maness has been a steady contributor but was non-tendered after undergoing a primary repair procedure (a Tommy John alternative) last year. Alburquerque has plenty of MLB experience, too, though he only received two major league frames last year.

Colon, 27, was the fourth overall pick in the 2010 draft but never lived up to that billing. He looked to have potentially carved out a spot on the Royals’ roster back in 2015 when he slashed .290/.356/.336 through 119 plate appearances as a rookie, but he followed that performance up with a lackluster .231/.294/.293 in a larger sample of 154 PAs last year. Thus far in 2017, Colon had played sparingly, logging 19 PAs and hitting and going 3-for-17 at the plate.

The 26-year-old O’Brien drew plenty of attention in Spring Training after clubbing seven homers and posting a 1.112 OPS, but the slugger’s production wilted in Omaha, where he got off to an unsightly .162/.235/.276 start through 115 plate appearances. The former catcher has long intrigued fans and MLB clubs with his considerable power, but strikeouts and a lack of defensive contributions have limited O’Brien’s opportunities. He did receive 79 MLB plate appearances with the D-backs in 2015-16, though he turned in a .176/.228/.446 batting line and punched out 32 times.

Royals Roster Notes: Moylan, Mondesi, Soler, Gore

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A number of Royals moves on Monday moved the team closer to setting their 25-man roster for the start of the season, as Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star and other reporters have noted. Here’s the breakdown of where the Royals’ roster stands:

  • First, the team optioned lefty Scott Alexander and outfielders Billy Burns and Peter O’Brien to Triple-A Omaha and assigned catcher Zane Evans, infielder Humberto Arteaga and relievers Yender Caramo, Eric Stout, Al Alburquerque and Malcom Culver to minor-league camp. The moves left veteran righty Peter Moylan as the Royals’ clear choice for the last spot in their bullpen. (Another veteran, Seth Maness, remains in camp, but he is recovering from injury and will not be ready for Opening Day.) Moylan’s minor-league deal with the Royals contains an opt-out clause tomorrow, so the team seems likely to place him on their 40-man roster shortly. Moylan allowed just one run in eight Spring Training innings, striking out six and walking one.
  • Royals manager Ned Yost also announced that Raul Mondesi would serve as the team’s starting second baseman, beating Whit Merrifield, Christian Colon and Cheslor Cuthbert. Cuthbert will make the team, while Merrifield and Colon are still competing for a bench job. The 21-year-old Mondesi was the surprise winner of the job after batting just .185/.231/.281 in 149 plate appearances in his rookie season in 2016, but he was previously a top prospect and had a very strong spring, batting .378/.391/.623.
  • Finally, Jorge Soler, who had been projected to start in right field, suffered a strained oblique this weekend and appears likely to begin the season on the disabled list. It’s only a grade I strain, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan tweets, and Soler may be able to begin resuming baseball activities in a week, so perhaps he can avoid a lengthy absence. That means Paulo Orlando will likely begin the season as the team’s right fielder, with Brandon Moss also occasionally helping at the position. Terrance Gore, who the Royals value for his speed and defensive ability, now seems likely to occupy a bench spot with Soler on the shelf.

Royals Sign Chris Withrow, Al Alburquerque, Brandon League To Minor League Deals

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The Royals have signed veteran righties Chris Withrow, Al Alburquerque and Brandon League to minor league deals with Spring Training invites, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com writes (Twitter links). Flanagan also notes the minor league signings of pitchers Bobby Parnell and Jonathan Sanchez, which had been previously reported; those two will combine with Withrow, Albuquerque and League to form a long list of formerly effective veterans who could compete for spots on the Royals’ pitching staff.

The 27-year-old Withrow was formerly a first-round pick of the Dodgers. After heading to Atlanta in a six-player deal involving Juan Uribe and Alberto Callaspo, Withrow spent 2016 with the Braves, where he posted a 3.58 ERA and an average fastball velocity approaching the mid-90s, but with an underwhelming 6.7 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 37 2/3 innings. He ended last season with over three years of service time after spending 2015 on the shelf recovering from Tommy John surgery, and the Braves non-tendered him last month.

Alburquerque spent the 2016 season in the Angels and Mariners organizations, appearing briefly in the big leagues with the Angels and posting a 3.74 ERA, 9.4 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 33 2/3 innings in the minors. The formerly hard-throwing Tigers reliever has seen his velocity dip to the low 90s in recent seasons. It’s possible some of that velocity drop might have some connection to his contraction of the Chikungunya virus in 2015, however, and the 30-year-old has proven to be an effective, if control-challenged, big-league reliever in the past.

League has not pitched since 2015, or in the big leagues since 2014, after struggling with shoulder trouble. The 33-year-old formerly served as a closer for the Mariners and Dodgers, but the Dodgers released him before the expiration of his three-year, $22.5MM contract with them. He has a 3.65 ERA, 6.3 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in parts of 11 seasons with the big leagues.

Mariners Sign Al Alburquerque To Minors Deal

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Right-hander Al Alburquerque has signed a minor league contract with the Mariners, as was first reported by Triple-A broadcaster Mike Curto last week (Twitter link). The longtime Tigers reliever spent the majority of the 2016 season with the Angels but was released on Aug. 13.

Alburquerque, 30, logged a 3.80 ERA with a 26-to-13 K/BB ratio and a 44.9 percent ground-ball rate in 23 2/3 innings with the Halos’ Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake this season. Alburquerque also tossed two innings for the Angels at the Major League level this year, allowing one earned run on two hits and two walks with a strikeout. He’s appeared in a pair of games for Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate and will hope to earn a promotion to the big league level when rosters expand on Thursday.

While Alburquerque hasn’t pitched much in the Majors this year, he was a regular contributor to the Detroit bullpen from 2011-15, continually demonstrating an ability to rack up strikeouts but also consistently showing below-average control. In 225 innings as a member of the Tigers, Alburquerque posted a very solid 3.20 ERA and averaged an impressive 11 strikeouts per nine innings, but he also averaged five walks per nine innings pitched over the life of his Tigers career. If he does end up making an appearance on the Mariners’ roster next month, Seattle will have the ability to control him through the 2017 season if desired, as he’s currently just shy of five years of big league service (a September call-up would push him over the threshold).

Angels Sign Andrew Bailey, Release Al Alburquerque

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The Angels have signed reliever Andrew Bailey to a minor league contract and released fellow bullpen option Al Alburquerque, per a club announcement. Bailey, an Excel Sports Management client, had been on the market since the Phillies released him last Saturday.

Injuries have helped derail the right-handed Bailey’s once-promising career, but he has finally stayed healthy this year. Unfortunately, an inability to prevent runs brought an end to the 32-year-old’s short tenure in Philadelphia. In 32 1/3 innings with the Phillies, Bailey posted a 6.40 ERA, but he did log a solid 9.2 K/9 and a usable 4.18 BB/9.

A former closer with the Athletics, Bailey has thrown 259 major league innings and recorded a 3.20 ERA, 9.24 K/9 and 3.09 BB/9 as a member of four different teams. While Bailey’s results and velocity have trended in the wrong directions since the impressive beginning of his career, he could work his way into an Angels bullpen that has been among the majors’ worst this season. Further, the Halos’ two primary late-game options – fellow righties Huston Street and the lights-out Cam Bedrosian – are currently on the disabled list, as their depth chart indicates.

Alburquere barely cracked LA’s ’pen this year, amassing only two innings. He spent the majority of his Angels stint at Triple-A Salt Lake, where he threw 23 2/3 innings and put up a 3.80 ERA, 9.89 K/9 and 4.94 BB/9. Alburquerque had a successful run in Detroit from 2011-15, during which time he posted a 3.20 ERA, 11.04 K/9, 5.00 BB/9 and 47.4 ground-ball rate across 225 frames.

Angels Designate David Huff, Select Al Alburquerque

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The Angels made a series of roster moves involving their oft-rotated pitching staff. As MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez first suggested (Twitter links), the team will designate lefty David Huff for assignment and place righty Cory Rasmus on the 15-day DL, clearing active roster spots for right-handers A.J. Achter and Al Alburquerque.

Huff, 31, surrendered ten earned runs in just 5 1/3 frames over two starts, allowing 13 hits and four home runs along the way. He had been tasked with stepping into the rotation while the club awaits Tim Lincecum, who is expected to be ready for major league action this weekend.

Achter has provided 11 1/3 innings of 4.76 ERA pitching on the year to the Halos’ pen, but this’ll be the first shot for the veteran Albuquerque. He has thrown 21 2/3 frames at Triple-A on the season, working to a 2.49 ERA with 10.4 K/9 with 4.2 BB/9.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/24/2016

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Here are the day’s minor moves:

  • The Angels announced tonight that right-handers A.J. Achter and Al Alburquerque, each of whom was designated for assignment recently, have cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Salt Lake. Achter was an offseason waiver claim from the Twins, whereas Alburquerque inked a one-year deal as a free agent. The 27-year-old Achter has allowed six runs on 15 hits and three walks in 11 1/3 innings while striking out just four. Alburquerque, 29, hasn’t appeared in a big league game for the Halos this season, though he was recently brought up from Triple-A. He posted a 2.40 ERA with Salt Lake and fanned 15 batters in 15 innings, though he also walked nine in that time and threw three wild pitches. Control has long been an issue for Alburquerque.
  • The Orioles announced that they’ve selected the contract of lefty Ashur Tolliver from Double-A Bowie today. The 28-year-old has seen his career slowed by injuries but has enjoyed a very strong season at Double-A thus far, recording a 2.42 ERA with a 25-to-8 K/BB ratio in 26 innings of work. Tolliver will step into the lefty relief role on the Orioles’ roster that was vacated by yesterday’s trade of Brian Matusz to the Braves.

Earlier Moves

  • First baseman/outfielder Travis Ishikawa is on the market again after being released by the White Sox Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago tweets. He scuffled to a .201/.277/.344 batting line in 175 plate appearances at Triple-A Charlotte. The eight-year MLB veteran, now 32 years of age, owns a lifetime .255/.321/.391 batting line in 1,050 trips to the plate at the major league level.
  • The Phillies have announced the signing of Cuban outfielder Osmel Aguila to a minor league deal, the club announced. The 27-year-old hasn’t played in the Serie Nacional since 2014. Overall, he owns a .280/.384/.447 batting line over 1,310 in the top Cuban domestic league.
  • Angels righty Danny Reynolds has been assigned to Triple-A after clearing outright waivers, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports on Twitter. That ends the DFA carousel for the 24-year-old, at least for the time being. He’ll need to show improved command to earn a shot in the L.A. pen.
  • The Orioles released infielder Steve Tolleson, David Hall of the Virginian-Pilot tweets. The 32-year-old has spent time with the O’s and Jays in recent years, and owns a .245/.299/.372 slash in his 363 career plate appearances at the major league level. He has dealt with injuries early in 2016 and has only appeared in eight games to date.
  • First baseman Cody Decker was released by the Rockies, per Baseball America’s Matt Eddy, who rounded up several transactions of note that have yet to appear here at MLBTR. Decker had solid power numbers, as usual, at Triple-A but he also received only 78 plate appearances and struck out in thirty of them.
  • The Tigers have cut ties with several minor league veterans, including catcher Humberto Quintero, via Eddy. Now 36, Quintero failed to crack the bigs last year after a dozen consecutive years in which he spet at least some time in the show. He was hitting .250/.297/.333 at Triple-A over 65 pate appearances.
  • The Brewers released righty Jim Miller, the Baseball America report provides. He was off to a 7.41 ERA in 17 innings at Triple-A, with 19 punch-outs but also 11 walks. Miller, 34, had a solid campaign for the A’s back in 2012 but hasn’t done much at the major league level before or since.
  • Yankees release outfielder Jared Mitchell, Eddy adds. The 27-year-old, a former first-round pick, was off to a .250/.337/.361 start in 83 plate appearances at Double-A. He’s never managed to develop any consistency at the plate in a seven-year minor league career.
  • The Phillies released outfielder Alfredo Marte, Eddy reports. Hes seen minimal action in parts of three MLB seasons, and was acquired by the Phils as the team sought to build out its outfield depth. But Marte has recorded just five hits and a single walk over 37 plate appearances on the year at the highest level of the minors.

Angels Designate Al Alburquerque For Assignment

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The Angels have designated right-handed reliever Al Alburquerque for assignment, according to the team’s director of communications, Eric Kay (Twitter link). Additionally, the Halos have selected the contract of fellow righty reliever Deolis Guerra from Triple-A Salt Lake City.

Los Angeles signed Alburquerque to a one-year, major league contract in January, but the former Tiger ultimately pitched for the Angels’ minor league affiliate instead. In 15 innings, the 29-year-old struck out a batter per frame and posted an outstanding 2.40 ERA, though the control problems that have long plagued him continued to do so (5.40 BB/9). In 225 career major league innings, all with Detroit, Alburquerque has recorded mostly solid numbers (3.20 ERA/3.34 FIP/3.44 xFIP, 11.04 K/9, 5.00 BB/9), but his run prevention left quite a bit to be desired in both 2013 and ’15.

Guerra’s major league experience consists entirely of the 16 2/3 frames of 6.48 ERA ball he racked up with Pittsburgh last season. He logged a solid 3.5 K/BB, though, and began this season with five scoreless innings for Salt Lake.

AL West Roster Decisions: Rangers, Angels, A’s

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Hanser Alberto, Ryan Rua, and Justin Ruggiano will all make the Rangers’ roster, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News was among those to tweet.  Ruggiano, 34 in April, inked a one-year, $1.65MM major league deal with the Rangers in December.  Even though the late-February addition of Ian Desmond has made Ruggiano’s presence something of a luxury, it sounds like Texas will hang on to the veteran to start the year.

Here’s a rundown of some of the more important roster decisions to take place in the AL West today:

  • Nick Martinez has been optioned by the Rangers, which will likely make A.J. Griffin the team’s fifth starter, as The Associated Press writes.  Griffin, 28, has not pitched in a major league game since 2013 thanks to a Tommy John operation in the spring of 2014.  In 47 starts between 2012 and 2013, Griffin pitched to a 3.60 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9.
  • Veteran righty Al Alburquerque has been optioned by the Angels, per a club announcement. That may line up Cam Bedrosian for the final pen spot. He’s rung up an impressive number of opposing hitters via strikeout this spring.  Alburquerque had a rough year in 2015, but he chalked up his struggles to an offseason battle with the Chikungunya virus.  Last year, the 29-year-old (30 in June) pitched to a 4.21 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9.
  • The A’s have optioned Jesse Hahn, as MLB.com’s Jane Lee tweets.  The move likely means that Felix Doubront will serve as Oakland’s fifth starter.  The A’s acquired Doubront from the Blue Jays at last year’s trade deadline in exchange for cash.  The left-hander went on to make eight starts and three relief appearances for Oakland and posted a 5.81 ERA.
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