ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Former Eckerd College baseball player Craig Albernaz has been re-signed by the Tampa Bay Rays to a minor league contract with an invite to major league spring training as announced by the organization.
Also agreeing to the same terms were outfielder Jason Bourgeois and right-handed pitcher J.D. Martin.
Albernaz has been playing in the Tampa Bay farm system since 2006 while spending time between the Rays' AA/AAA affiliates, Montgomery and Durham, last season.
In his seven-year minor league career, Albernaz has climbed the ladder through rookie ball in the Appalachian League up to the International League and Durham. He has gunned down 41 percent of runners attempting to steal a base on him spanning 275 games appeared in.
He has also recorded 152 hits and four home runs to go with 58 runs batted in while drawing 78 walks.
A 2005 Eckerd graduate from Somerset, Mass., Albernaz made 434 appearances at the plate in his collegiate career to complement a .200 average, but his defense behind the dish was what made him impressive and caught the attention of scouts.
Albernaz threw out 61 percent of would-be base stealers during his time at Eckerd with a rocket of an arm that was regularly clocked at 1.85 seconds throwing down to second base.
Albernaz currently represents Eckerd in professional baseball ranks with 2012 major league draftee Joe Cuda, who made his debut with the Batavia Muckdogs in the St. Louis Cardinals' organization.
