Jose Valverde

2013

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2012

Valverde easily turned in the best season of his career in 2011, finishing a perfect 49-for-49 in saves chances while posting a 2.24 ERA in 75 appearances. He continued to post strong strikeout totals, whiffing 69 hitters in 72.1 innings. Like in past seasons, Valverde's most glaring weakness was his propensity to give up free passes (4.23 BB/9IP). While he was perfect converting saves, a .258 BABIP and 82.9 percent strand rate both show just how lucky he was in 2011. The Big Potato will continue to be one of the better closer options in the American League this season, but don't expect him to continue his streak of perfection.

2011

Other than a late-season elbow injury that sidelined him for most of September, Valverde's transition from the NL to the AL couldn't have gone smoother. The flamboyant closer picked up 26 saves in 29 chances while posting a 3.00 ERA and a 63:32 K:BB ratio in 63 innings. He'll continue to toe the rubber in the ninth inning for Detroit, and with his mid-90s fastball and groundball-inducing splitter, Valverde will again be a solid option among the mid-level closers in the AL.

2010

Valverde spent the better part of the first half of the season on the DL with a calf injury, suffered in April trying to field an Orlando Hudson liner off of his ankle. When he returned, he showed he still had the stuff that made him a late inning stud: crisp fastball, sharp splitter with good downhill motion, fiery demeanor on the mound. At 31, (at least we assume), Valverde signed with the Tigers in the offseason and he'll take over as Detroit's closer. He's a good bet to repeat his recent success.

2009

A new setting did nothing to curb Valverde’s success, as he converted 44-of-51 saves and posted 83 strikeouts in 72 innings. Valverde was just about as dominant as any closer in the league this side of Brad Lidge. Better still, he issued three fewer walks in eight more innings than he threw in 2007. His name is being bandied about in trade talks, but as long as he stays healthy, expect him to be one of the league's better closers again in 2009.

2008

Valverde finally made it through an entire season with Arizona and went on to lead the National League with 47 saves. D-Backs GM Josh Byrnes promptly traded Valverde to Houston, netting a more established reliever in Chad Qualls, along with Chris Burke and prospect Juan Gutierrez. More than anything else, it appears that Byrnes was simply selling a valuable commodity at peak value, given Valverde's injury history and occasionally spotty command. Don't bet on him leading the NL in saves again, but he should provide stability in the closer's role for Houston after the Brad Lidge debacle in recent seasons.

2007

The "Studio 60" of relievers: entertaining and dominant one week, unwatchable the next. Overall, he strikes out 12 men a game with a 3:1 K:BB, and eventually he's going to have a Francisco Rodriguez season. Still someone to get.

2006

Papa Grande came back from an injury-riddled 2004 with a vengeance, finally reclaiming the Diamondbacks closer job in August. Valverde's pure stuff would have been worth about 40 saves last year if he'd pitched in the ninth inning all season - check the strikeout, walk and WHIP rates. Make sure he's healthy in the spring, then pounce on draft day. He can deliver Billy Wagner-type numbers at a far lower price.

2005

Valverde suffered from tendinitis and a slight labrum tear in his shoulder, went on the DL in June and underwent surgery in September. He'll get a chance to reclaim the Diamondbacks closer role from Greg Aquino in spring training, however. He was pitching pretty effectively in 2004 before he went down.

2004

Valverde was another of Arizona's Baby Backs in 2003, posting a 2.15 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 54 relief outings and going a perfect 9-for-9 in save chances when Matt Mantei was out for over a month in midseason. When Mantei moves on, either during the season or afterwards, Valverde has the inside track on the closer position. In the meantime, he'll pitch in the eighth inning and close occasionally when Mantei needs a night off.

2003

Valverde's a closer with a 97-mph heater, but he's yet to put it all together for a full season in the minors. In 2002, Valverde went 2-4, 5.85 with five saves at Triple-A (65 K's in 48 innings, but he allowed 68 base runners, too, including eight homers). He'll turn 24 this summer. He sounds like he'd be great to watch if he ever made it to the bigs, but he might never get the chance.