reaching the terms of a contract extension that could be announced as
soon as Monday.
Nathan's agent, Dave Pepe, was in the Orlando area visiting other
clients on Sunday, but he was scheduled to arrive back in Fort Myers
and meet with the Twins on Monday morning to go over some final
details, said a source with knowledge of the discussions.
Indications are that it would be a four-year deal. The exact amount is
not known, although ESPN's Buster Olney has reported that the contract
would pay Nathan between $11 and $12 million a year.
That would put Nathan's contract in the same price range as closer
Francisco Cordero, who signed a four-year, $46 million contract with
the Reds that includes a fifth-year option this offseason. The
contracts for Cordero and Mariano Rivera, who re-signed with the
Yankees this offseason for three years and $45 million, were credited
with setting a new bar on the market for closers.
The Twins first approached Nathan, who is set to make $6 million in
2008, about a contract extension early last month. The two sides went
through a brief stalemate period before talks heated up again
recently.
Nathan, 33, has posted a 1.00 ERA in nine innings so far this spring,
and he has held opponents to a .167 batting average against. He has
recorded 160 saves since becoming the Twins' closer in 2004.
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