A random Crazy Idea

by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Dec 3, 2009 5:30 PM EST

While I was at work today, someone stumbled upon me and mentioned he thought the Twins needed to make a few moves in addition to JJ Hardy, to compete with the likes of the Yankees, White Sox, Angels, Red Sox, Rays and maybe even Orioles or Rangers in the AL next year.....

^I don't think this is true btw

One of the moves he suggested was to move our CLOSER -Joe Nathan into the starting rotation, I immediately laughed that idea off, while at the same time giving him credit for recognizing Joe Nathan was/is probably the single best pitcher currently on the Twins active roster.

So that is the Idea ladies and gentleman, Move Our Closer Joe Nathan into the starting roation, ..can it be done?

I thought for a moment, and realized that Rob Delaney, Carlos Gutierrez, Alex Burnett, and Anthony Slama are all in AA or higher and pretty much all 4 of them could pitch for AAA Rochester come April and probably do just fine, I also thought about how the FA market is loaded with good relief pitchers, Fernando Rodney, ~~Trevor Hoffman, Wagner~~, Brandon Lyon to name a few......

So after completly blowing the idea off and probably making this individual regret they even talked to me today, I actually feel like it MIGHT be an idea worth talking about. Crazy?

1. I Highly doubt a Ricky Nolasco, Dan Uggla, Jon Raynor type of deal is going to go down, because We'd probably have to give up Wilson Ramos and that would HURT ME (us) very bady, (in addition to Glen Perkins, Alexi Casilla and probably Carlso Gutierrez or Danny Valencia of some sort)

2. Lets face it Joe Nathan slowed down at seasons end, and I don't think it was due to fatigue or a tired arm. He is getting old and his velocity is dropping off, while he is still damn good enough to be a closer, his days of being in the same class as Mariano Rivera and Jonathan Broxton are probably over....

3. $ Money $ ...Maybe its just me, but the financial situation of Joe Nathan's contract doesn't strike me as appealing, for teams that may want to trade for him down the line, so why not maximize Nathan's use to our club, by making him into a starter.... I am sure he'd only be comfortable going 5 or 6 innings into every game but 4 days rest in between starts I'm sure Nathan would enjoy....

discuss....

(P.S. I'm thrilled that our Twinkie Town top 50 'spects community list is under way - I voted for Aaron Hicks at #1 _ And Ramos would be my #2.....)

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It's possible

But most closer’s who go into the Starter role usually don’t do all that well IMO. Lowe has been ok as a starter, but would have to consider him just an average starter. Get’s a few more wins then losses though his ERA is fairly good. There are a few other that for soem reason the brain wont give me a name. Ugh, I hate that, wish it was Friday. But Im just not sure if Nathan is one of those that could make the transition. I wish he would do al ittle better as a closer in the playoffs, not sure how well he would do then as a starter.

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by VikesFaninNM on Dec 3, 2009 5:44 PM EST reply actions

Nathan and $$$$$$

He may seem expensive, but he is not. He gives the Twins consistency, as long as they are contenders. If the Twins weren’t in the mix, he’d be expensive.

Too many seasons right now as closer to be anything but. Maybe Joe will settle into a setup role in his waning days, if he needs to do so. But given his track record and such, he’ll be a closer until his alst day. Maybe not with a contending team, but he’ll close and end his career with some 15-20 save seasons.

Do the Twins have a future closer? Maybe ut of the names you mentioned, yes. But not for 2010. Not for 2011. Any of those folks — Slama, Delaney, Burnett — need to have a couple of seasons in the middle of the bullpen. The best the Twins have is Crain and Neshek, according to my opinion.

If push comes to shove, any of the big teams (Angels, Phillies, Red Sox, and Yankees after Rivera) will be gald to “purchase” Nathan at whatever his going salary is…that’s a fer sure!

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by rosterman on Dec 3, 2009 6:26 PM EST reply actions

he is expensive for a closer

no reliever should make that much money

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by fetch9 on Dec 4, 2009 12:56 AM EST up reply actions

Strongly disagree.

I’d pay a guy who can lock down as many games as Nathan does every penny he wants.

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by TwinsTarget on Dec 4, 2009 6:20 PM EST up reply actions

It would be cool

But in theory, you can’t just double or triple his innings

The Hochevar Principle: The future comes to all teams. Some teams wait for it. Those teams finish in last place a lot.

by DaTwins on Dec 3, 2009 8:18 PM EST reply actions

It's just a bad idea.

He’s the best pitcher on the team because of how many innings he pitches. If you start to stretch a guy out to six or seven innings (or even just five) instead of one inning, you’re losing stuff and velocity. Relief pitchers, and especially closers, are usually in that role for a reason: they’re not good enough to be starters.

And personally, I just think it’s asking for more trouble than anything else.

by Jesse on Dec 4, 2009 8:00 AM EST reply actions

Bingo

Nathan already flamed out as a starter (as did Mariano Rivera and lots of other great relievers). Some guys are just more effective for an inning or two, when they can pound their best pitches and throw their hardest without worrying about having to see batters a second time or wearing out after more than a couple innings.

In principle, I like the idea; I just don’t know that it would work in practice.

"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

by BeefMaster on Dec 4, 2009 9:18 AM EST up reply actions

I agree with you Jesse

however, if there is one closer in pretty much the entire league who could do it?
wouldn’t’ it be Joe Nathan?

Ryan Franklin or Huston Street might be able to do it better per se but, Joe Nathan was once a starter

I mean obviously a guy who struggles to throw strikes (Brad Lidge or Kerry Wood)

or a guy whose age is a determining factor to why he is closing (Mo Rivera, Trevor Hoffman or even John Smoltz there for a while)

or a guy who just isn’t fit for STARTING games (Bobby Jenks or Coco Cordero Jose Valverde, just wouldn’t have the fatigue factor built up enough)

couldn’t make this transition

BUT in my honest opinoin Joe Nathan could

Deliberating however, to counter my own post topic, I think why fix something that isn’t broken? – Nathan is still a top 5 closer in the game and because of that alone you shouldn’t mess with it.

Deolis Guerra = Daniel Cabrera ?
I tend to think so

by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Dec 4, 2009 10:02 PM EST up reply actions

You may be right

…Joe Nathan slowed down at seasons end, and I don’t think it was due to fatigue or a tired arm. He is getting old…

But he also had two bone spurs removed from his right elbow. Do you think that may have caused some of that?

Also Nathan makes $Money$ because he is really good at getting those last three outs when we need them. I really think moving him from closer would be a crazy idea.

"Is it normal to wake up in the morning in a sweat because you can't wait to beat another human's guts out?" -Joe Kapp

by less cowbell, more 'neau on Dec 4, 2009 8:38 AM EST reply actions