21
2011
Joe Nathan Signs With Rangers
An article by Craig Lerner
According to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, former Twins closer Joe Nathan has signed a two-year deal worth $14MM with the Texas Rangers.
The deal reportedly includes an option for 2014 which is worth an additional $7MM according to SI.com’s Jon Heyman.
Last month Joe Nathan, a New York native, told reporters he would like to play for the Mets, but there have been no reports that anyone from the Mets contacted him.
The move likely indicates Neftali Feliz is headed to the starting rotation next season.
About the Author: Craig Lerner
I'm a data analyst and researcher for a leading news agency who loves life and is hooked on the Mets. I love following the Amateur Draft and have a particular fondness for the Mets Minor Leagues who I follow each day. Give me a cold beer, a summer day, and a Mets game, and I'm good to go.
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It also probably means they called CJ Wilson’s bluff
Good point.
I knew he was going to be too pricey for Sandy and the Mets. He made 11.25MM last season and wasn’t going to take that huge of a pay cut.
Do you blame him really? I mean, his control looked to be worse than we’ve seen basically ever. His K’s are down… he’s giving up more runs. I don’t know, I know I will get killed for it and yada yada but $7mil for Joe Nathan? I don’t think he’s THAT much IF better than the other closers out there right now….
i KNOW i’LL GET KILLED FOR this
Wow. Epic keyboard fail. Just epic.
I know I’ll get killed for THIS, but given his youth and inexperience, I really liked what I saw from Beato. I don’t know that I’d sign any closer for more than one year guaranteed right now, not until he proves he can’t do it.
No way,
Beato is OK, but the Mets really need to improve the bullpen – It was just awful last year. And there’s a lot of good closers available that we can get that are better than Beato.
Capps or Francisco would be the guys I’d like to see the Mets sign.
But not for more than one year guaranteed.
Why can’t it be for more than one year?
Like Capps for example, he’s going to be 28, why would it be a bad idea to give him more than a year?
I’d have no problem with that at all.
Because he’d be blocking Beato.
I don’t see the problem.
If Beato turns into a good RP, then you would have TWO good RP’s in your bullpen.
And if he doesn’t, then you would still have somebody good to close out the games – So incase Beato implodes (which could happen) our bullpen isn’t a disaster, like last year.
So Xtreemsandylover wouldn’t sign Capps to a 2 year contract because he’d be blocking Beato.
Wow.
Never mind the logical reasons Vinny B stated and also signing Capps would help the Mets WIN. That’s a word that’s been lost on this site lately with all the talk about who may do what according to what type of contract they have somewhere else. The whole state of affairs around here gets sadder every day.
The only reason X came to his conclusions is because of who signed Beato. It has nothing to do with baseball and wanting to get the best guys you can in order to win.
Vinny, the problem is this. Beato’s ERA as a Rule V, inexperienced rookie was 4.30. Capps’ was 4.25. Capps had a .256 BAA and a 1.20 WHIP and Beato had a .234 and a 1.28. Beato strikes more guys out. He walks more guys, but that’s always the first thing that improves with experience and it’s not even like he walks the ballpark on a regular basis, anyway. Beato’s already as good as Capps and will improve. Even a little improvement makes him better. And Capps already has 6 years under his belt. If he hasn’t adjusted well enough to be significantly better than a Rule V guy, what does that say?
I would simply rather spend the limited funds on more pressing needs, of which there are many, then on the back of the bullpen. Gun to my head, I’d rather Francisco over Capps anyway. Bigger gun to my head, I’d rather a starter, or a CF, or a MI if Reyes leaves than a reliever.
What would he be blocking Beato from? Don’t get me wrong Beato has a great arm but he showed last year he’s got a ways to go.He could end up in AAA unless he has a lights out ST.I’d take Francisco or Capps for 2 years in that order.Like Vinny says if Beato developes you have a strong pen from the right side plus insurance against injury.We need arms! The more the better.
xtreem, do you make comments like that to gain attention?? i mean, there’s no way you can be this ilogical.. first you say the mets #1 priority should be to sign chris young, and NOW you wouldn’t sign a guy like capps to a 2 year deal because he’d be blocking beato???? are you serious? beato did ok for one month and a week, then……. we all saw what happened, clearly he can get better, but closer??? really??
Are you ever going to show me where I said Young was the #1 priority? Or just lie like Bayonne and make things up?
Question #2 – The Mets projected payroll next year is significantly lower with the loss of Beltran and K-Rod. Other than signing Reyes (or letting him walk), what is 1 move you feel the Mets have to make this winter?
XtreemIcon Answer:
I feel the Mets HAVE to sign Chris Young back
Keep going. What’s the rest of it?
Do we need more of your garbage!?!!?
About as much as we need more of your lies and fabrications.
I would have most def passed up Nathan in that price range and with that contract. The good thing is the Rangers also had some interest in bringing Frank Francisco back and now that the Rangers have signed Nathan, this probably gives Sandy and the Mets a much better chance of signing him.
I agree,I think Francisco is the guy he should sign.I just hope he signs him before someone else does.Before you know it the surplus of closers on the market becomes a shortage and we get caught holding the bag.
Of course he signed with the Rangers. I gotta laugh at all the Mets fans that thought the Mets would sign him or anyone looking for more than $1mil.. The Moneyball Mets.
LMAO, maniac!!!! man, this is getting ridiculous, supposedly the mets are looking at broxton to close, any closer over $5 million is not on the mets radar, and, also why would a good closer wanna come here? they know they won’t have many chances to close games as long as sandy is running the show. look for crappy closers who are “injury risks” or someobody who i’m sure sandy will sell us as a closer.
surprised to see him get 2 years guaranteed though like that.
He didn’t say he’d like to play for the Mets. He said he’d be willing to go to the Mets if he couldn’t sign with a contender. Joe Nathan never had any interest in joining the Mets, nor should he. He turns 37 tomorrow and is going to be 3 seasons removed since his last stellar season. He knows the end is near…neither he nor the Mets would have benefited from him coming to Queens.
Well, we weren’t getting him anyway. He got about $13 million more from Texas than what Alderson might have offered him anyway. Boy, that Nathan sure is impatient! He might have gotten an offer from the Mets if he had waited another 8-12 weeks while Sandy and his band of merry ex-GM”s properly calculated Nathan’s true value. Nothing like bargain basement treasure hunting (I actually prefer the term Dumpster Diving here) in December and January to uncover some real diamonds in the rough (DJ Carrasco, anyone?). LOL
Seriously though, why would Nathan sign with the Mets (hometown aside), when he got such a solid offer from the defending AL Champion Rangers? Not to worry, the Mets can still find a solid closer. I hope it’s NOT Matt Capps though. Too hitable and inconsistent. Reminds me too much of Braden Looper. However, Frank Francisco might be a decent find. I still like Jonathan Broxton, but it doesn’t appear the Mets are interested though. Regardless, they need to find a reliable closer.
Extreem, Bayonne etc.
I guess with regards to Beato one question would be, is Mejia still a starter or can he be a future closer? I still want him to be the closer of the future but who knows.
So if you’re grooming Beato for that role, you wouldn’t groom Mejia and vice versa.
However can I point this out to the people laughing at Xtreem for wanting Beato over Capps?
69 G, 4-7, 15SV, 65.2IP, 66H, 31ER, 13BB, 34K
60 G, 2-1, 0 SV, 67.0IP, 59H, 32ER, 27BB, 39K
Capps is 28, Beato is 25. It’s not as though Capps is FAR better in 2011 than Beato was. And Beato was a rookie and everybody knows a rookie usually loses steam in September due to not being used to a longer year.
Beato’s problem was consistency. He was awesome in April and July.
If you’re telling me Capps is a no brainer over Beato, you’re not paying attention. Now, I don’t think getting Capps is a bad thing I just don’t see why Capps v. Beato is worth mud slinging. Just because 1 guy is a free agent doesn’t make him better than Beato.
1st of all, if the Mets signed Capps, the aren’t going to sign him “over” Beato – Beato would STILL be on the team.
2nd, the Mets need to improve the bullpen regardless on how Beato performs. let’s say if we go with the same guys, and Beato does do good, guess what? Our bullpen still isn’t good, because you need more than one good pitcher in your pen to have a good bullpen.
and lastly, why didn’t you show Capps career stats? 3.51 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. Capps is an allstar closer, and signing him is going to help improve one of the weakest points on the team.
Mostly because I don’t see how closing for the Pirates, or Nationals or even the Twins proves anything in terms of Capps is ability to close in New York. He was an AS in 2010 closing for Washington, great. He was the lone Nationals rep through voting/manager selection, so one could argue he made it on a technicality too couldn’t they?
I’m not saying he’s bad or anything like that. I’m saying Beato in his rookie year wasn’t a far cry from Capps in 2011 and if there is money to spend on relief, then giving Beato a chance as Closer and spending on middle relief could be a better investment than signing a closer like Capps.
It’s a thought, I’m not saying don’t get whoever, I’m sayng just because Capps is out there doesn’t make him the best option. 2-3 middle relievers could have a greater impact on the Mets with Beato as closer than almost the same bullpen with just Capps closing… could it not?
Capps reminds me of a guy like Dannys Baez or even a Danny Graves. There’s nothing wrong with them, but are they the answer?
Not counting KRod the Mets had the following losses out of the pen
Boyer 2
Stinson 2
Carrasco 2
Igarashi 1
Beato 1,
Isringhausen 3,
Byrdak 1,
Parnell 6,
Thayer 3
Acosta 1,
Buchholz 1
O’Conner 1,
Herrera 1
That’s 25 games LOST by a reliever. 25! How many of them were lost in the 9th inning?
The point is there is more wrong with the bullpen than JUST the closer. You gotta get to the 9th inning with a lead first right? You can’t do that when you’re losing games in the 6-7-8th inning.
So if you CAN upgrade the bullpen in those areas, you don’t have to spend your bankroll on a closer do you?
Oh come on, you don’ think Capps could close in NY, but Beato can after one mediocre season in the majors? Come on. And Capps had 2.47 ERA in 2010, it’s not like he made the all star team with a 4+ ERA or something – He deserved it.
And you are upgrading the 6-7-8th innings by signing Capps. Think about it: Instead of Beato pitching the 9th, he pitches the 8th. Instead of Parnell pitching the 8th, he pitches the 7th – and so on and so on. So, instead of Beato being your best pitcher, with Capps, he’s now your 2nd best. Signing somebody like him would make the Mets bullpen deeper.
fair points Jessepbut I don’t think Vinny or anyone else is suggesting they go out and over pay Capps.Vinny said Capps or Francisco which I took as getting a more reliable closer than what we had last year,not just going out and getting Capps because he thinks he’s the best guy available. If Capps is the last man standing that we have to acquire,would you pass because you don’t think he’s any better than Beato? Wouldn’t it be better to have Capps and Beato at the back end of the pen instead of just Beato? I like Beato,I think he’s got a chance to be a good reliever but I’m not ready to give him the 9th inning just yet.We have to upgrade the entire bullpen not just the bridge to the 9th.
Awful in those months is a stretch. What you will learn when you actually look a little deeper into ERA is that a relievers ERA is a tricky thing.
April 19th, Apr 27
May 22, June 1, June 8
July 17, July 22
Aug 8, Aug 16
Sept 15, Sept 21
Just looking quick, if you’re talking about Beato as a closer, those are the only games that should concern you. When he pitches 3 innings etc, that’s not what he’d do as a closer. So giving up runs in his 3rd inning don’t really equate to how he’d do when he has 3 outs to go.
You can’t just broad stroke a relievers monthly ERA like that. For example in May he had 6 outings where he completed an entire inning or more and gave up 0 runs. His ERA is a 6 because of 3 appearances. Not because he came out in May and threw BP.
And again please read what I said
As a rookie Beato wasn’t a far cry from Capps last year. I’m not saying he was better, but as a rookie he could very well improve could he not?
again, if you’re gonna use the term awesome in those months, called the months for what they were then, don’t beat around the bush, or is this one of those attempts from you to make a sandy alderson pick up seemed like a great pick up?? what’s next, craig kimbrel the best closer in the ga… ohhh, wait…
Not signing Capps just because you don’t want to “block” Beato, is just a terrible move.
If Beato does improve, then how is it a problem having him pitch the 8th and Capps the 9th? Isn’t that a good thing to have?
and if he doesn’t, then we are still going to have somebody good in our pen, so it won’t be a disaster like last year. isn’t it a good thing to have somebody solid, just incase Beato doesn’t work out?
You’re trying to make this into Beato VS Capps thing, but that’s not what this is about. This is about signing an allstar, to help improve a part of the team that was awful last year.
Right. For no more than one guaranteed year.
Vinny, don’t waste your time with these guys. seriously, is ok for sandy to give carrasco who’s a big time POS 2 years but god forbid us make another mistake and sign someone for more than a year.. xtreem is a poorer version of jesseP, don’t even bother vinny.
Exactly my point. When is it ever a good idea to cover up one mistake with another? You know Carrasco was a full time starter in 2005 and came back as a reliever. From his comeback through 2010, he was also about as good as Capps. And look what happened last season.
No Beato wasn’t a far cry but just as easily as Beato can improve,Capps can revert to his 2010 numbers coming back to the NL. I’m not saying go out and get Capps,he’s not the first guy that would be on my list but if we ended up with Capps I’d still say we upgraded the back end of the pen. Frankly I’d prefer Francisco over Capps.
so beato was good.. no no, awesome for 2 months? so does that means that the other 4 most he was GOD AWFUL!!?!?!
Please, for once, stop trying to pretend sandy’s moves are good and accept them for what they are, i like beato, but had he not be a rule 5 pick, he should’ve been demoted to the minors, here’s something ppl like here a lot, numberes:
ERA BY MONTHS:
May 6.23
June 6.39
August 6.08
Sept 6.48
WOW……… yeah, he’s as good as capps… i don’t like capps, but come on..
The Mets would have offered Nathan 2 mil a yr plus incentives. Hard to believe The Mets have turned into the Padres in terms of spending.