Joe Nathan braced to close for Texas Rangers – MLB Update
The Texas Rangers’ closer Joe Nathan on Wednesday, February 22, expressed his happiness over the contract with the club. At a time when there were a lot of free agents available in the market, the Rangers’ decision to opt for Nathan underlined the fact that
they saw an effective closer in him.
The decision, as can be clearly seen now, has produced a desirable result as it was a sensible move both for the Rangers to extend an offer and for Nathan to accept it.
"It was a difficult situation for me," Nathan said. "Some of those guys were coming off good seasons and were in a spot where you don't want to sign too early. But at the same time, in musical chairs, you don't want to be the last one standing and running
out of chairs. For me, it was just a matter of seeing what teams were interested in me."
For Nathan, the Texas Rangers’ showing interest was something that had to be taken into account. Nathan did it readily.
"Once Texas showed interest, it wasn't a matter of waiting around," Nathan said. "It was a matter of getting to a spot that we were both comfortable with.”
Nathan, in the past, had represented the Minnesota Twins. Having been known for efficacy and accomplishment as the capable closer, Nathan also remained a four-time All-Star closer.
Not everything has remained smooth for Nathan, as in 2010, he found himself in trouble when he had to undergo Tommy John surgery. With that, he missed the major part of the season and it was not quite known if he could return soon.
The pitching is one of the strong features of the Texas Rangers; something they can rely upon quite confidently. Nathan’s addition will be a harbinger of more success for them at a time when the club needs to display a strong show in the American League.
In 581 games, he has an ERA of 2.87 with no less than 261 saves to his credit which is indeed a big accomplishment for him. It was due to his good performance that he won Relief Man Award in 2009.
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