Al Alburquerque

While Alburquerque saw his strikeout rate drop to single digits (9.9 K/9) for the first time in his major-league career, he still managed to put together a solid bounce-back campaign as one of the Tigers' better bullpen options. He appeared in a career-high 72 games, finishing 3-1 with 63 strikeouts, 21 walks and one save. After posting a career-worst 4.59 ERA in 2013, Alburquerque lowered his ERA to a much more manageable 2.51 last season. He also improved his walk rate by allowing a career-best 3.3 BB/9 – still a problem area, but much improved from the 6.2 BB/9 he posted in 2013. Alburquerque has posted FIP of 3.87 and 3.85 in 2013 and 2014 respectively, meaning his effectiveness is likely somewhere in the middle of the final lines he has posted the past two seasons. But improvement could come if his strikeout rate reverts back to his career norm and he continues to cut back on allowing free passes. The Tigers plan to use Alburquerque in a middle-relief role once again in 2015, which will lead to plenty of opportunities for holds while snagging the occasional win or save.

While Alburquerque was able to stay relatively healthy in 2013, he wasn't nearly as effective as past seasons. The right-handed reliever finished the season 4-3 with a 4.59 ERA and 1.49 WHIP in 53 appearances. He continued to work as a strikeout artist, though, posting a 12.9 K/9 rate, but that success was offset by a 6.2 BB/9. Despite his rough 2013 campaign, Alburquerque remains an intriguing middle-relief option due to his high volume of strikeouts. His slider is one of the most effective swing-and-miss pitches in the league, but he needs to corral his walks to reach his full potential. The Tigers signed Joe Nathan in December to remedy their ninth-inning woes, so it seems unlikely that Alburquerque will vulture anything more than a rogue save or two.

Alburquerque started the 2012 season on the shelf, missing the first five months of the regular season recovering from elbow surgery. He made his season debut in early September and immediately returned to the dominating form we saw from him the previous season. In eight relief appearances over the final month of the season, Alburquerque posted a 0.68 ERA and 18:8 K:BB ratio over 13.1 innings. His devastating slider remained extremely effective and looks poised to be the source of big strikeout totals. Alburquerque is expected to work the middle innings for the Tigers, but he could also factor into the closing mix if other options fail.

After toiling away in the minor leagues the last five seasons, Alburquerque finally found a home with the Tigers in 2011. The 25-year-old reliever emerged as a main cog in the Tigers bullpen, finishing the year 6-1 with a 1.87 ERA, 1.154 WHIP and 67 strikeouts in 43.1 innings. While he had a bit of trouble with his control (6.02 BB/9IP), Alburquerque was able to offset the free passes by whiffing 13.92 K/9IP. He relies heavily on his slider, which ranks among the best in the league, while also sporting a fastball that touches 95 mph. Unfortunately, he underwent surgery in December to stabilize a non-displaced fracture in his throwing arm and is expected to be sidelined until the All-Star break.

The Tigers signed Albuquerque to a major league contract in November after an impressive performance in winter ball. The 24-year-old has spent the past five seasons in the Cubs and Rockies farm systems while compiling an 8-15 record with a 4.60 ERA and 191 strikeouts in 174 innings over that span. Albuquerque has a fastball that touches 95 mph and he induces a lot of groundballs, but he'll have to improve his command (85 walks) to be a factor in the Tigers bullpen.

Signed with the Tigers in November 2010.