Fifty-one weeks after he was a footnote transaction, reliever Alberto ("Al-Al") Alburquerque has become a household name in Detroit — although notsomuch amongst New York talk radio hosts like Mike Francessa.

Wednesday, it was announced that he'd been named the 2011 Detroit Tigers Rookie of the Year by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters' Association, an award the organization has handed out since 1969.

Alburquerque was well worth the big-league contract the Tigers handed him, signing him the same day they inked set-up man Joaquin Benoit, finishing as the leader among American League relievers in batting average allowed (.142), as well as hits (4.36) and strikeouts (13.92) per nine innings. His strikeout rate and average allowed were the best numbers recorded by a Tigers reliever in the post-World War II era.

As a rookie, Alburquerque finished 6-1 with a 1.87 ERA in 41 outings, not allowing a single earned run after his September return from injury, but had a postseason ERA of 13.50 in four playoff outings. The rust on his arm from missing time with a forearm injury and the much-publicized batting practice concussion limited his ability to contribute in the postseason, hamstringing the Tigers at the end of games, forcing them to go almost exclusively with Benoit and closer Jose Valverde.

General manager Dave Dombrowski didn't seem to indicate any need to improve the back end of the Tigers' bullpen before next season, trusting that Alburquerque can snap back to form with an offseason of rest.

"You've got Valverde, you've got Benoit, Alburquerque was a little bit of an unusual situation at the end of the year, but he'll be healthy, so that's three guys that have established themselves from the right side," Dombrowski said.

Here's a quick synopsis of all the postseason awards garnered by Detroit Tigers players after the conclusion of the 2011 season:

MIGUEL CABRERA
• Miguel Cabrera wins Luis Aparicio Award
(best Venezuelan player in MLB)

JUSTIN VERLANDER
• Verlander named to The Sporting News' AL All-Star team (unanimous selection)
• Verlander named The Sporting News' MLB Player of the Year
• Verlander wins a pair of Players Choice awards, becoming the second pitcher to win Player of the Year.
• Verlander wins his first AL Cy Young award.
• Verlander bucks the odds, voter bias to become first pitcher in 19 years to win AL Most Valuable Player award.

ALEX AVILA
• Avila named as the catcher for The Sporting News' AL All-Star team
• Avila a finalist for AL Gold Glove at catcher.
• Avila wins his first Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award.

JOSE VALVERDE
• Valverde named MLB Delivery Man of the Year (best reliever in MLB)

AUSTIN JACKSON
• Jackson a finalist for AL Gold Glove in center field.
• With his league-leading 22 runs saved, Jackson wins the Fielding Bible's 2011 award for center fielders.

AL ALBURQUERQUE
• Al-Al was named the 2011 Detroit Tigers Rookie of the Year by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters' Association.

In a move that will be perhaps the least surprising of the 2012 offseason, the Detroit Tigers announced Friday that they'd picked up the club option on closer Jose Valverde's contract, for $9 million.

Valverde was a perfect 49-for-49 in save chances during the regular season, then went 3-for-3 in the postseason for the Tigers, just the third MLB closer in history to record more than 40 saves without blowing one. Eric Gagne ('03) and Brad Lidge ('08) were the others.

Along the way, Valverde broke Guillermo Hernandez's club record for consecutive saves (set at 32 in 1984), and Todd Jones' club record for saves in a season (set at 42 in 2000). The season earned Valverde a spot on the American League All-Star team midseason for the second year in a row, as well as the MLB Delivery Man of the Year Award, given annually to the game's best reliever.

The Tigers signed Valverde as a free agent from the Houston Astros in January of 2010, giving him a two-year, $14 million contract, with an option for a third year. The option will raise his annual salary slightly from $7 million in 2011 to $9 million next year.

Given his two-year total of 78 saves, and considering the underwhelming crop of closers on the free-agent market (many of them either coming off injury or poor seasons), it's entirely unsurprising the Tigers stuck with a known commodity.

Detroit Tigers closer Jose Valverde is named the MLB Delivery Man of the Year Award, given yearly to the best relief pitcher in the big leagues. The award is voted by fans.

Valverde was 49-for-49 in save chances in the regular season, posting a 2.24 ERA in 72.1 innings pitched. He led the American League in appearances (75), games finished (70) and saves (49). Valverde was named to the AL All-Star team for the second straight year with the Tigers, after making one All-Star Game appearance with the Diamondbacks in 2007.

With a save in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals, Tigers closer Jose Valverde matched the franchise Willie (Guillermo) Hernandez with his 32nd consecutive successful save. Hernandez, of course, was a perfect 32-for-32 in the World Championship season of 1984.

So am I writing this to say that Valverde should be a Cy Young/MVP candidate.

No. Hardly.

When you look at the rest of Valverde's numbers in comparison to Hernandez, they pale.

Valverde's ERA is a full run higher (2.92 to 1.92). Hernandez finished 68 games — Valverde is on a pace for 73 — but pitched 140.1 innings. If Valverde does indeed get to 73 games finished, he'll probably bury the single-season team record for saves (42, Todd Jones, 2000) with close to 50, but he'll only have 75 or so innings pitched.

And he won't come close to Hernandez's WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 0.941 — Valverde's is currently 1.297 — or his strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.11 — Valverde's is 1.73.

But don't take this to mean that I think Papa Grande isn't valuable to the Tigers.

Again — hardly.

He's blown a total of three saves in 61 chances. Yes, he's been a roller-coaster in non-save situations, but he's been money when the save is on the line.

And that brings us to the other issue: Money.

Aside from the first-round pick it cost them to sign him, Valverde has cost the Tigers $6.9 million last year, and $7 million this year. He's got a club option for $9 million for next season, something the Tigers would be wise to pick up. Or if that's too much to invest in a guy who will be 34 on Opening Day, they might want to start renegotiations.

Either way, there's no one in the Tigers' system currently who's ready to be the closer of the future. Joel Zumaya is unsigned for next year, and hasn't pitched in more than a year, anyway. One former first-round pick, Ryan Perry, has been up-and-down — both literally and figuratively — and is currently in Toledo trying to work through his control issues. Another first-round pick, Chance Ruffin, could be the player-to-be-named-later in the trade-deadline deal with Seattle, and has only 15 innings pitched above the Double-A level to date, anyway.

Until someone else steps up to be an internal solution, the Tigers need to keep Valverde around — especially since it's not like they're going to get anyone on the open market for much less than the $9 million price tag they already have Valverde for in 2012 — if they want him.

And, the way he's going now, why wouldn't they?