Fansided

Joe Nathan Out For Season: Is his career in MLB over?

By Connor Muldowney

Apr 6, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Joe Nathan (36) point to home during the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park. Detroit won 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 6, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Joe Nathan (36) point to home during the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park. Detroit won 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
Sep 25, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Joe Nathan (36) pitches in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park. Detroit won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Joe Nathan (36) pitches in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park. Detroit won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Why Joe Nathan’s Career Is Over

It was a good career for the fiery closer. Tigers fans need to remember the good, not the bad, despite never being on the good side of things. However, it’s looking more and more like his career in baseball is over.

Not only was his ERA pathetic in his first year with Detroit, his WHIP was the second-highest of his career at 1.53 — something that is just inexcusable for a closer. All of this has led to an even worse season in 2015. Although he has one save in one chance with a 0.00 ERA and a strikeout, Nathan’s career may now be over after just 0.1 innings pitched this season.

Nathan is on the last year of his two-year, $20 million deal with the team and it’s very unlikely any team in the league will give him a chance to come out of the bullpen at the age of 41 and fresh off Tommy John surgery.

Detroit will be forced to look elsewhere for closing help, Joakim Soria has done a great job so far, while the bullpen just got that much thinner for the red-hot Tigers, so don’t expect Nathan to be a prime target for this team in free agency next offseason.

The league took notice of Nathan’s struggles with Detroit and people even thought that 2014 should have been his last year. After Tommy John surgery, no one will want a noodle-armed 41-year-old pitcher who blew a career-high in saves in his last “healthy” year.

Sorry, Joe, but this is the end of the road, buddy.

Next: Fantasy Baseball Sell High and Buy Low

More from Detroit Tigers

Home/Detroit Tigers