Free Agent Signing – Joe Nathan

The Texas Rangers made a very interesting move in signing Joe Nathan to be their closer. They signed the 37 year old Nathan for 2 years at $14.5 million with an option for a third year. This signing allows them to move their 23 year old fireballer Neftali Feliz into the rotation. This probably signals the end of CJ Wilson’s tenure with the Texas Rangers since the Rangers already have Colby Lewis, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Alexi Ogando in their rotation.

There are always concerns about signing a 37 year old closer, especially one that had Tommy John surgery (he had the surgery in March of 2010). But Nathan’s second half numbers showed that he was coming into his old pre-Tommy John form. His July-August-September were a vast improvement over his 1^st half:

29 GP, 27.1 IP, 11 Saves, 20 hits, 5 BB, 26 K’s, 3.29 ERA, .200 AVG

Nathan was a dominant closer, one of the top handful, with 35 or more saves from 2004 through 2009 before his surgery. He is a 4 time all-star (2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009) along with having the 5^th most saves for active pitchers with 261. After most Tommy John surgeries the pitcher returns as good if not stronger then before. But it usually takes a minimum of 18 months for most pitchers to start regaining their previous form, and this coincides perfectly with Nathan’s 2011 season. At the price tag and years this would seem to be a no brainer for the Rangers. And if they need to give Nathan a breather here and there, they have the solid Mike Adams who they traded for in the middle of last season. Adams has been a top setup man for the past 4 years.

For the ageing Nathan this move would also seem to be a no brainer. It’s a chance to pitch for a contender that has made two straight World Series appearances. And, most pitchers relish the opportunity to pitch for the Texas Rangers and Nolan Ryan. As an early fantasy ranking I would confidently place Nathan in the top 15 closers going into next year’s draft.

The other interesting part of this signing is the move to the rotation for Neftali Feliz. There is always the argument over what is more valuable to a team, a top notch closer or an ace starting pitcher? Most analysts side with the ace starting pitcher which Feliz projects to one day become. But, the young Feliz has yet to show any command in the majors with his off-speed stuff, something he didn’t have to worry about that much as the closer. And his walks per innings as the closer left a lot to be desired! (30 BB's in 62.1 IP)

On the other hand how many 23 year old fireballers do you know that have completely mastered the art of pitching in the majors? I am reasonably confident that at the back end of the Rangers rotation Feliz will be able to work on his mechanics and become a dominant starter over the next couple of years. After all, the Rangers have already proven they can take their relievers and move them into their rotation with success, a la CJ Wilson and Alexi Ogando.