The White Sox have officially brought back free-agent righty Matt Albers, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (links to Twitter). Per the report, the SSG Baseball client will earn $2MM in 2016. The deal also includes a $3MM club option with a $250K buyout.
Albers, 32, has dealt with injuries at times in recent years — most notably, a lengthy struggle with shoulder issues that cost him most of 2014. And a freak broken finger also landed him on the DL last year.
But the most recent work on his record is quite impressive. He threw 37 1/3 innings of 1.21 ERA pitching last year for Chicago, with only 6.8 K/9 but a strong 2.2 BB/9 and 58.6% groundball rate to back his efforts. Truth be told, Albers has put up outstanding run-prevention numbers dating back to the start of the 2012 campaign. He’s posted a sterling 2.32 ERA over his 170 2/3 frames since that time.
While metrics don’t quite support that level of production, SIERA has viewed him as a mid-3.00 ERA performer or better for quite some time. Though his velocity dipped rather sharply last year, Albers tells MLB.com’s Scott Merkin that changes to his change-up helped him to end the year with 22 1/3 scoreless innings despite the lack of his typical ~93 mph heat.
Certainly, Chicago can make out on this signing even if Albers takes a fairly significant step back in terms of results. He’ll join a seemingly well-stocked pen that will be needed to ease the burden on a rotation that has some question marks at the back end.
Saw “White Sox” and got excited. Saw Matt Albers and got bored. I wish they would get Jerry to open up the check book, because Yoenis Cespedes ain’t signing for 3 years.. Cubans aren’t coming on a bargain like Abreu’s contract now appears to be with how well he has performed..
Sometimes the decent moves aren’t sexy or exciting, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t a solid move.
GREAT NEXT GO SIGN BOBBY JENKS RICK HAHN SHOULD IGNORE WILLIAMS AND DO WHAT EVER HE WANTS !!!
Great addition.
Now onto signing cespedes jerry
Solid RP last year, doesn’t hurt but not signing Cespedes is going to piss a lot of people off that are already pissed off at Jerry
Imo, Yoenis Cespedes was the best option for the White Sox among the free agent outfielders this offseason. If he signs elsewhere, switch-hitting Dexter Fowler would still be a nice upgrade who would come considerably cheaper. If the savings in signing Fowler over Cespedes allows the White Sox the financial flexibility to also upgrade at another position of need, either shortstop (Ian Desmond?) or right-handed starting pitcher (Yovanni Gallardo?) then it may actually be the best course of action among the available FA’s.
Their are also potential trade scenarios that might benefit the White Sox even more than free agency, pending the necessary return in assets. A power hitting left-handed hitter like Carlos Gonzales might be the ideal fit for the White Sox, not just because he can play RF as well as LF, but because he would provide the ideal bridge in the middle of their lineup between the right-handed power hitters Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier. Gonzales would cost less in terms of dollars than Cespedes with a $38M ($17M in 2016+$20M in 2017+$1M trade bonus) guaranteed commitment over the next two seasons. If “Cargo” could be acquired without the loss of a substantial 2016 roster contributor or any of the White Sox top 3 prospects (Tim Anderson, Carson Fulmer or Spencer Adams) his acquisition might trump that of any FA, including Cespedes.
Well said about CarGo.
Even though Fowler (switch hitter) would be perfect, I do not hope the Sox forfeit the 28th pick in the draft. I’d rather give Avisail another shot.
We do not need Desmond but signing Latos at a 1 yr team friendly deal would be great.
Put well but I don’t think Colorado is trading one of their outfielders for anything less than a top top prospect. They wanted Kevin Gausman at a minimum from the Os and Gausman is worth way more than almost any prospect.
I hate the idea of CarGo on the Sox; especially if it’s going to take a trade of anything. $19M for 2 years of below average defense, atrocious LHP platoon splits…unless we get him with $15M in cash, no thanks. I’m aware he crushes righties, but I’m also concerned about the history we’ve experienced with NL sluggers coming over and tanking (the Adams), not to mention that Coors effect.
Here’s his line vs LHP, by the way:
.195/.222/.308/.530
That’s a worse wRC+ than DeAza last year, by the way..
$19M/yr for 2 years that is…$$38M total.
Great picture
😀
glad to see him brought back. solid signing
Great signing, thought Alber’s would’ve gotten a better offer elsewhere.
Nothing matters until they FIRE VENTURA! But it’s a ” Good Old Boys” organization.
Really? Didn’t they have Ozzie Guillen as their coach before Ventura? Like literally one of the least “good old boys” in baseball. Really ignorant comment with no basis in reality. Ventura is a good coach but also an inexperienced one. He was hired for the long term and should not be fired.
@GoRav114
As a 40+ year White Sox fan, I can admit that Guillen wasn’t an awesome manager. He did have his faults but he did bring a WS to Chicago.
Ventura while being a great guy and player I adored during his playing time, is a joke as manager. He’s clueless out there and makes mistakes all the time which costs the team game. He’s so laid back that the players don’t respect him and walk all over him. He admitted that he’s
He’s there for two reasons:
1. He’s a former Sox player, who played for Jerry, so Jerry won’t fire him and embarrass him. He’s friends with the owner and Jerry always takes care of his former players. It’s Reinsdorf’s worst weakness.
2. He’s cheap. He’s one of the lowest paid managers in baseball and with his contract not expiring until after 2016, Jerry doesn’t want to have to pay him if he’s not on the team.
If the team doesn’t improve this season, he’ll be gone in a flash no matter what kind of relationship he has with Jerry. With Rick Renteria as the new bench coach, I can even foresee the team parting ways with him before the season is even done if the team is really bad and replacing him with Renteria.
With every possible free agent OF going off the board, I get more worried about the WSox sticking with Avisail Garcia in RF I wish the guy would improve, but the situation seems like another Dayan Viciedo type, with the WSox stubbornly sticking with “their” favorite, and wasting the prime of Sale & Abreu.
At the very least, I’m hoping for an OF like Fowler or Austin Jackson, a SS ala Desmond, and a platoon of Garcia & LaRoche at DH, and less and well, I guess miracles can occasionally happen..
Quintana for Baez and mckinney.. let’s run it. As much as I don’t want to give up Jose we have a surplus of LH starters and should move him to upgrade our outfield, shortstop, or catcher positions. I especially wouldn’t want to give him to the cubs but they have the farm system ripe to poach and we need the help.