Angels sign veteran reliever Al Alburquerque to 1-year deal

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) The Los Angeles Angels have signed veteran reliever Al Alburquerque to a one-year, $1.1 million contract.

The Angels confirmed the signing Friday night.

Alburquerque went 4-1 with a 4.21 ERA in a career-high 62 innings of relief for Detroit last season.

He had spent his entire five-year big-league career with the Tigers, going 17-6 with a 3.20 ERA and 276 strikeouts. Detroit elected not to tender a contract to him this winter.

The Dominican right-hander's powerful fastball has declined in recent seasons, but he still has strikeout abilities and a high swing-and-miss ratio.

Alburquerque could fill a key role for the Angels, who traded hard-throwing young reliever Trevor Gott to Washington in a deal for veteran third baseman Yunel Escobar. Gott was manager Mike Scioscia's seventh-inning specialist last season.

Los Angeles also exchanged arbitration proposals with right-handed starter Garrett Richards and right fielder Kole Calhoun, their remaining unsigned players.

Richards is asking for $7.1 million, and the Angels countered with $5.3 million. He made $3.2 million last year while winning 15 games and establishing himself as a top AL starter.

The Gold Glove-winning Calhoun asked for $3.9 million in his first year of arbitration eligibility, and the Angels countered with $2.35 million. The slugger made $537,500 last season while posting career highs of 26 homers and 83 RBIs.