Top 10 Closers Likely To Lose Their Job: #2 Joe Nathan

by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

2014 Statistics
35 saves (7 blown saves), 4.81 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 8.38 K/9, 4.50 BB/9

Potential Replacements

• Joakim Soria
• Joba Chamberlain
• Bruce Rondon

Why He’s On The List
Do we really need to go into detail? The only reason Nathan didn’t lose his job last season was because the lack of trustworthy alternatives. With Soria now with the team, as well as healthy, and Rondon working his way back from Tommy John surgery Nathan doesn’t have that luxury.

Things have gotten so bad for Nathan that he was booed after a poor performance this spring, as described by James Schmol of mlive.com (click here for the article):

“Despite it being a spring training game where the final score means very little, Nathan still couldn’t avoid being peppered with boos following a disastrous relief appearance in Detroit’s 6-5 loss to the Phillies at Joker Marchant Stadium.

From the moment Nathan took the mound in the fifth inning to the moment he walked to the Tigers’ dugout after being chased, nothing went right for Nathan, who was lit up for six runs — four earned — in just two-thirds of an inning. And the crowd didn’t hold back their frustration towards the oft-criticized reliever.”

Maybe the now 40-year old has simply lost it? It’s certainly hard to imagine him suddenly rediscovering his old form and dominating like he used to. All it’s going to take is one or two poor outings and the Tigers aren’t going to have a choice. Given what we’ve seen this spring, that’s not going to take long.

ETA For Change – May 1

Sources – Fangraphs

Make sure to check out all of the Top 10 Closers Likely To Lose Their Job:

3. Santiago Casilla
4. Latroy Hawkins
5. Jenrry Mejia
6. Jonathan Broxton (already removed given the signing of Francisco Rodriguez)
7. Brett Cecil
8. Luke Gregerson
9. Neftali Feliz
10. Fernando Rodney

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