March 09, 2010

Well, nothing ever goes according to plan. The Twins' ace closer Joe Nathan's season looks to be over before it started.

This is a blow, but the Twins have a good history of turning middle relievers and starters (Nathan, Guardado and Aguilera) into solid closers. The only time it really failed during Gardenhire's regime was with LaTroy Hawkins, who just didn't have the mental make-up for the role. He then became an excellent eighth inning guy for two seasons. In addition starters such as Liriano, the Twins also have a full bullpen of potential candidates for the closer role. No team wins a World Series without a world-class closer these days, but remember: As superb as Nathan has been during the regular season, he has faltered in the playoffs several times.