The Angels officially announced the signing of power reliever Al Alburquerque on Tuesday, designating first baseman Efren Navarro for assignment in order to create room on the 40-man roster.
Alburquerque signed for a base salary of $1 million and has an option year left. The 29-year-old right-hander is coming off a down 2015 season with the Tigers, with his ERA (2.51 to 4.21), WHIP (1.17 to 1.55) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.00 to 1.76) all higher compared to a breakout 2014.
Navarro, a local product, was a 50th-round Draft pick in 2007, but pushed his way through the system thanks to his elite glove and superior on-base ability.