The Twins and General Manager Bill Smith were second-guessed pretty good when they decided to sign closer Joe Nathan to a four-year contract worth $47 million in March.
What you read in newspapers and heard on radio and television talk shows before Nathan's deal was something like this: "The Twins are wasting their money if they are considering signing Nathan because the starting pitching will be so bad, they won't need a closer."
However, that theory has turned out wrong so far. Nathan chalked up his ninth save in as many opportunities Wednesday to help the Twins beat the White Sox 4-3 at the Metrodome.
A year ago after 27 games, Twins starting pitchers -- including the great Johan Santana -- had an ERA of 3.87, compared to 4.41 this season after Wednesday's game. The team's record after the same number of games last year was 15-12, compared to 13-14 this season.
Maybe Smith knew what he was doing when he locked up Nathan for four more years.
"What we've always said is that the bullpen's only as good as the last guy with the ball, and he's one of the best in the game," Smith said. "To have him there, it makes everybody better."
Contrary to what I and others thought, the young and inexperienced Twins starters haven't been a disaster. Smith has been proven right.
"They're young starters," he said. "The one thing you need at the back of the game, when you get a lead, you need one of the best closers in the game, and it's good to have him out there.