I'm not intentionally trying to compare Santana to Nathan - I'm just saying that a SP only makes a difference in one out of five games while a closer makes a difference in every game that the team has the lead going into the ninth (usually one in two, depending on how good the team is). I'm also not saying that Santana deserves or doesn't deserve the $25 mil/yr that he's getting, nor am I saying that Nathan deserves that kind of coin. I'm just saying that I'm not upset with the Twins' brass giving one of the top 3 closers in the game $11 mil/yr, and that his age doesn't concern me because closers tend to age more gracefully than starters because they don't put the same kind of wear on their arms that starters do.
Personally I like this deal, especially if in 2 years we're once again a serious contender in the AL Central (right now I'd consider us outside, although more like unlikely, contenders). I also like this deal because we have the money to spend now, and, as said earlier, if we do decide to trade him, he's now worth more because of his contract.
As far as Liriano goes, do you think maybe he's just being a little overly cautious, that he needs to ensure in his mind that he doesn't have to worry about blowing his elbow out again? Once he gets the fear out of his mind, I think he'll be fine. He'll probably never have THAT wicked of a slider ever again (as that was what probably blew his elbow out in the first place), but I think he still has the chance to be a great pitcher.
