5 reasons why Joe Nathan should ride off into the sunset

He’s Set on Money for Life

This may be the least of his worries, but becoming one of the best closers in all of baseball means that he has been paid a large amount from a few teams. Pitching the way he had been throughout his career earned him some monster contracts, including a two-year, $20 million deal with Detroit on the back-end of his career.

Nathan, for the most part, plays for the love of the game and that multi-million dollar deal probably meant very little to his game in the long-run. The closer played the game in order to win and become known as one of the best closers of all time, even joining the 300-close club.

Had it not been for this injury, Nathan probably would have had a guaranteed offer from a few teams for a one-year deal in the winter.

There’s no need to worry about money for the rest of his life. He’s getting surgery and will be getting paid $10 million this year to rehab his arm for a possible return, likely with a different team if he does decide to come back.

Nathan has done such a good job becoming a great pitcher in his career that an injury like this at the end of it has little to no effect on his wealth.

Next: 1. He had a full, successful career