Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan has wanted a contract extension with the Twins for a while now. He's wanted it even though he saw Johan Santana traded to New York, and Torii Hunter sign a huge contract with the Angels out west. It's apparent that Nathan loves his situation in Minnesota, and no matter what the expectations for the team are, he wants to stay.He will be staying, too, and he'll probably be doing so in a very large house. Last week I told you that it appeared a contract extension was imminent, and minutes ago it became reality.
The [Twins] announced on Monday that it has agreed to terms with closer Joe Nathan on a contract extension through 2011. The deal also includes a club option for '12.The contract is very much in line with the deal Francisco Cordero got from the Reds, but it's not quite as much as the $15 million that Mariano Rivera will be making with the Yankees. Which is just another reason why I don't understand why Nathan did this.
The financial terms of the deal were not immediately released, although it is believed to be worth between $11-$12 million per year.
If Nathan played out the season without this extension, he'd have been a free agent at season's end. Which means one of two things would have happened. He'd either pitch the whole season in Minnesota, hit the market, get an offer for about $15-$17 million a year and move on, or he'd get dealt to a contending team at the deadline before becoming a free agent at the end of the year.
To me, that's what would have been best for both teams. Nathan would have actually gotten more money, and had the chance to play on a contender, and the Twins could have gotten a few more prospects for Nathan to help speed up the mini-rebuilding project they need to finish. But, hey, I've never had the chance to turn down $33 million before, so I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. The Twins can only do what is in their best interest. Prospects for Santana was the best they could do. Tori leaving for way more than he is worth at this stage of his career was a done deal. Having one of the best closers in MLB only helps them through a tough time with such an inexperienced pitching staff til all that gels, as it certainly will.
Posted at 3:31PM on Mar 24th 2008 by Bill
2. Sometimes players and teams actually have dedication to each other and some players play where they want to not just for the money (Puckett, Hrbek). We see it every year where players say "I just love being part of this team" but then economics come into play and they show their true colors, just look at Santana the Twin's offer him 20 million a year and it's not good enough.
Posted at 3:56PM on Mar 24th 2008 by tazman1964