Matt Albers, RHP (2017 team – Nationals)
Indians fans should be familiar with Albers, who pitched for the Tribe in 2013. He came to the Indians in December, 2012, along with Shaw and Trevor Bauer.
The 35 year-old righthander spent 2017 with the Washington Nationals, posting a 7-2 record in 63 appearances with a sparkling 1.62 ERA.
He made the team after signing a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training and took advantage, getting called up to the big league team in early May and sticking all season.
Albers is a power pitcher. His out pitch is a heavy mid-90’s sinker he compliments with a power slider and curve. He also throws strikes, walking just 17 batters in 61 innings while striking out 63 last year.
Albers is also relatively durable. He missed time in 2014 with a shoulder injury when he pitched for the Astros and also hit the disabled list when he suffered a broken finger in a bench-clearing brawl against the Royals while pitching for the White Sox in 2015.
Albers had a down year in 2016 with the White Sox. His sinker wasn’t sinking and he struck out just 30 in 51.1 innings while surrendering 67 hits and posting an awful 6.31 ERA.
However, it all came together last year in a magical season in the nation’s capital.
Albers also has strong incentive to put together a quality season. He will enter the 2018 campaign with 9.141 years of Major League service time. If he can stick with a team all season he will cross the 10-year threshold. The pension for a 10-year major leaguer is $210,000 a year if they start taking their pension at age of 62. Not bad.
Albers won’t cost much. His deal with Washington last season was for $1.15 million, but after his strong campaign will expect a pay raise. With relievers cashing in this off-season there’s a good chance he will want something in the neighborhood of $4 million over two seasons.
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