Getting to know your new O's
Over the next few weeks, MASNsports.com's Steve Melewski will introduce us to some of the Bird's latest acquisitions. Today we take a look at pitchers Matt Albers and Dennis Sarfate.
Matt Albers
Matt Albers is a 24-year-old righthander who is getting a shot this spring to win the Orioles' 5th starter job. He was acquired in December in the trade that sent Miguel Tejada to Houston.
Albers had two stints with Houston last year and ended the season in the Astros starting rotation. With Houston, he made 31 appearances, 18 starts, and was 4-11 5.86. He pitched 110.2 innings and was 8th among NL rookies in innings and strikeouts. He had an ERA of 5.71 as a starter and 6.62 out of the pen. In AAA in 2007, Albers made 9 starts for Round Rock and was 2-3 3.74.
In the majors last season he had his most success vs. St. Louis with a record of 2-1 and 1.33 ERA vs. the Cards. On the other hand, his ERA was 16.88 in two games vs. the Reds.
In 2006, Albers was named the pitcher of the year in the AA Texas League. With Corpus Christi he was 10-2 2.17 in 19 starts. He held right-handed batters to a .191 average.
He made four AAA starts in the 2006 season and in July was promoted to the majors, making his major-league debut on July 25th. In four games, two starts with the Astros in 06, he was 0-2 6.00.
Albers was a 23rd round draft pick by Houston in 2001. His career minor-league record is 37-28 with an ERA of 3.62. In 600 innings he has 616 strikeouts and of his 110 minor-league appearances, 107 were as a starter.
He makes his off-season home in Sugar Land, Texas where he played at Clements High School.
Don't expect Dave Trembley to ever call on him as a pinch-hitter as his career NL batting record shows just 2 hits in 33 at bats with 20 strikeouts.
Albers throws a fastball, curve, change and slider and is said to be very good about keeping the ball down. He usually hits 91-92 with his velocity.
Pitching coach Rick Kranitz says "He looks like he will be able to get a lot of ground ball outs with the sink on his pitches and a lot of guys don't have that. He's competing for our 5th starter spot and has shown that he has the stuff. I saw him pitch vs the Marlins last year and he threw well. He probably needs more consistency with his secondary pitches, but most young guys do. There's still plenty of time for that. He's also a real competitive guy and I like that."
Dennis Sarfate
Dennis Sarfate is a hard-throwing, 26-year-old righty, who has spent most of his career in the minors since 2001, but in brief stops in the majors the past two seasons, has pitched very well.
He pitched briefly in the bigs with Milwaukee in 2006 and Houston in 2007 and his combined numbers with those teams is 1-0 2.70 in 15 games. He has pitched just 16.2 major-league innings, but has 25 strikeouts.
Sarfate, originally a 9th-round pick of the Brewers in 2001, was acquired by the Birds in the December trade of Miguel Tejada to Houston. He wasn't with that organization very long. He was picked up by Houston last September 11th from Milwaukee in a cash transaction.
Sarfate picked up his only major league win for the Astros vs. the Reds last September 26th, pitching two shutout innings.
He spent most of 2006 and 2007 in AAA and last season, with Nashville, was 2-7 4.52 in 45 games with 68 strikeouts in 61.2 innings. His best minor league season was 2003. With Class A Beloit, he was 12-2 2.84 in 26 starts.
Sarfate throws a fastball, curve and split-finger pitch and his fastball can hit the low to mid nineties on the gun.
O's pitching coach Rick Kranitz says "I'm real excited about this guy because he has a real power arm, he has strikeout stuff with a power curve as well. He comes right after the hitters and has the ability to dominate at times. Hitters don't like to face guys like him."
Leave a comment