Minnesota Twins are near to making a decision on Joe Nathan – MLB Update
The 36-year-old closer, Joe Nathan has said that he has not heard anything from the club as Minnesota Twins might be looking to pick up the 12-million-dollar option for 2012 on Nathan’s contract, which is due to expire in ten days.
It was earlier revealed that the teams will have five days to revise the contract after the end of World Series, but Nathan stated that baseball’s current labour deal makes the deadline even stricter, down to three days.
Nathan has given considerable results this season. Turning 37 next month, he had 14 saves for 99-losses after recovering from ligament injury, which he picked up in 2010.
"There are a lot of decisions for (the Twins) to make, so for us it's about the waiting game," Nathan said, "When they decide, we'll go from there.”
It seems as if the Twins has decided not to keep the 36-year-old closer as if that was the case, they would have indicated that time by now. Although Nathan was disappointed to leave his current club, he stated that he will be prepared for whatever comes
his way. However, it may also be possible that the club has not reached a decision yet. The veteran player further added that it is a waiting game for him and he is ready to take on new challenges.
"If they were planning on picking (my option) up, I think I would have heard something," he said. "But as much as I would think they would have told me by now, there's also the other side of the coin where they may not know - where the team is heading for
next year, what they have to do"
It has been learnt from reliable sources that if the Twins decide not to pick Nathan for the next season, they will have to pay him 2-million-dollars and Nathan will become a free agent. If the club decides to do that, there will certainly be talks between
the two parties, Nathan further added. It also opens the door for other clubs to hold discussions with the player.
Nathan, who is the all times saves leader for the Minnesota Twins with 261 saves, was paid 11.25-million-dollars during the 2011 season. He has given a reasonable performance in seven seasons with the Twins. Nathan stated that he enjoyed his time with the
Twins and he has always been given ample opportunities by the club. However, it may be time to move to a new club with an interest in the market to see what is out there.
It will be interesting to see if the Twins pick up the option for Nathan for the next season. Regardless of the decision the Twins make, Nathan is a tremendous player and if they do not show any interest, there are plenty of teams in MLB that will be happy
to acquire him if he becomes a free agent.
Tags: