Nathan A Rich Twin

The Twins have signed their ace closer Joe Nathan to a extension keeping him in Minnesota through 2011 (or 2012 if they exercise his option). The contract will pay Nathan an average of $11.25 million a year. There's also a limited no-trade clause.

It's not a bad deal for a closer of Nathan's caliber in general, as Fransisco Cordero (ERA+ of 150, 124, 136 the last 3 years with 3.1 K/BB over that time) just got a comparable deal from the Reds and Nathan is the better pitcher (230, 283, 165 ERA+ with 4.7 K/BB). The problem is that the Twins are a low-payroll team and so it doesn't make much sense for them to allocate such a substantial portion of their pay-roll to a pitcher who only throws 70 innings a year. It might have made more sense for them to add $50 million on to their contract offer to Johan Santana and then trade Nathan for prospects. With the players that they got from the Mets for Santana, they might have been able to get a similar return from a team in need of a closer.