The Minnesota Twins served notice to the rest of the American League that they believe they'll be competitive sooner, rather than later, by signing Joe Nathan to a four-year deal worth $47 million. The deal runs through 2011 with the club holding a $12 million dollar option for 2012.
After watching the Twins bid farewell to Torii Hunter, Carlos Silva and Johan Santana in the off-season, I was convinced that the team was in full rebuilding mode. However, by signing Nathan the organization has signaled that they believe there will be games to save in the near future. Whether or not this is realistic remains to be seen.
There are some reasons for optimism. The line-up is built around the nucleus of Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer. I have hope that Delmon Young, Mike Lamb and Brendan Harris will hit as well. Whether Lamb and Harris can adequately field there position is another matter. Finally, if young Carlos Gomez can produce at the top of the line-up, the offense could really be in business.
The rotation is another story. Livan Hernandez is here as a temporary, stop-gap measure. The rest of the starters are young and unproven. Will Boof Bosner be able to go deeper into games after losing weight in the off-season? Will Scott Baker be able to reproduce last year's success despite a minor back/shoulder injury? What can we expect in the long run from Kevin Slowey and Nick Blackburn (two guys with very little major league experience)? Finally and most importantly to the team's immediate future, how will Francisco Liriano come back from Tommy John surgery?
The only way to answer these questions is to play the games. Joe Nathan is one of the best closers in the game. We're lucky to have him. He's the star of one of the best bullpens in the majors. The questions are when and how often will Nathan and his set-up men have a lead to protect?
