Minnesota Twins: Ranking the Top 6 Starters-Turned-Closers for the Twins

This past week, Glen Perkins was asked to do something he had never done before in his career with the Minnesota Twins—close out a game and preserve the victory.

Perkins picked up the first two saves in his sixth season with the Minnesota Twins, one in the third game against against the Brewers on July 3rd, and the second only two days later against the Tampa Bay Rays. In both instances, it was at the expense of Matt Capps who, over three appearances, had given up nine hits and five earned runs in only 1.2 innings pitched.

Perkins made his Twins debut in 2006 when he pitched in only four games working only 5.2 innings with a 1.59 ERA. His best season was two years later in 2008 when he started 26 games. He finished the season with a 12-4 record and a 4.41 ERA. His 12 wins were enough to tie him with Kevin Slowey for the most on the Twins pitching staff. 

It looked like Perkins had established himself as a starter for a long time to come. In 2009 he was limited to only 17 starts and a 6-7 record with his ERA bloating to 5.89. He fell out of favor with manager Ron Gardenhire and pitching coach Rick Anderson and would spend most of the 2010 season pitching for Triple-A Rochester.

Perkins has re-emerged as a dominant force out of the bullpen with the ability to retire right-handed batters as easily as lefties. His 1.87 ERA leads the Twins pitching staff.

Has Perkins done enough to possibly get a shot at closer for the Twins?

Both Joe Nathan (5.82 ERA with three blown saves) and Capps (4.42 ERA and four blown saves) have struggled taking a turn at closer.

Here's a look at six Twins pitchers that started as starters and ended up earning some saves for the Twins.

No. 6: Mudcat Grant, 293 Starts and 53 Saves with a 3.63 Career ERA

James Timothy Grant was better known as Mudcat Grant. While Grant would spend the majority of his time with Twins as a starter, he would finish his career with 53 saves.

In Grant's 14 major league seasons, he would play for seven different ballclubs. He would be a member of the Twins starting rotation from 1964 until 1967. In 1965 he would lead the American League with 21 wins in 39 starts—the most of his career. He finished the season appearing in 41 games with a 21-7 record and a 3.30 ERA.

Grant would make his last start in 1969. The following season, he would make the successful transition as a relief pitcher. In 80 relief appearances, Grant would save 24 games with a 1.86 ERA.   

Though never officially a closer for the Twins, Grant was able to make the transition late in his career after 12 seasons primarily as a starter.

No. 5: Mike Trombley, 36 Starts and 44 Saves with a 4.48 ERA

Mke Trombley made his major league debut with the Minnesota Twins in 1992 making seven starts in 10 games. In 1995, he was one of six Twins pitchers to start at least 12 games. That season, Trombley made 18 starts, the third-most on the pitching staff behind Brad Radke and Kevin Tampani.

He would only make one more start the rest of his career.

Over the next four years, from 1996 to 1999, Trombley would average 65 games per season out of the bullpen. In 1999, he would take over for Rick Aguilera as the Twins closer and lead the team with 24 saves with a 4.33 ERA.

In 2000, Trombley would sign as a free agent with the Orioles. Over the next three seasons, he would only record 10 more saves.

He would finish his career having pitched for 11 seasons for three teams with a 37-47 record with 44 saves and a 4.48 ERA.

No. 4: LaTroy Hawkins, 98 Starts and 87 Saves with a 4.49 ERA

LaTroy Hawkins, a seventh-round draft choice of Minnesota, made his major league debut in 1995, starting six games for the Twins. Through 1999, Hawkins would appear in 99 games making 98 starts for the Twins.

Still active on the Milwaukee Brewers roster, Hawkins has made 27 appearances so far in 2011. He has not started another game since 1999.

In 2000, the Twins would move him to closer and for the next two seasons, Hawkins led the Twins with 42 saves.

In 2002, Eddie Guardado would take over as the Twins closer. In December of 2003, Hawkins would sign with the Chicago Cubs and save 25 games in 2004.

In 17 seasons, Hawkins has played for eight teams. He has a career 60-84 record with a 4.49 ERA and 87 saves.  

No. 3: Eddie Guardado, 25 Starts and 187 Saves with a 4.31 ERA

"Everyday" Eddie Guardado, like Glen Perkins, is a left-handed pitcher whose career started by taking the ball in the first inning early in his career, but would make the move to the bullpen.

Drafted by the Twins in 1990, Guardado would make his debut with the Twins in 1993 starting 16 games. By his fourth season with the Twins, he would lead the American League appearing in 83 games—all out of the bullpen—thus dubbing him "Everyday Eddie."

Guardado would continue out of the bullpen as a left-handed specialist and garner a handful of saves each season. In 2002, he would replace LaTroy Hawkins as closer and lead the AL with 45 saves. Two years later for the 2004 season, Guardado would sign as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners.

In his 17-year career Guardado would pitch for the Twins, Mariners, Rangers and Reds. He finished with a 37-48 record with 187 saves and a 4.31 ERA.

The 25 starts he made in his career would all be within the first four seasons with the Twins. His 116 saves for the Twins is third all-time in Minnesota.

No. 2: Rick Aguilera, 89 Starts and 318 Saves with a 3.57 ERA

Rick Aguilera was one of five players the Minnesota Twins received from the New York Mets when they traded the reigning AL Cy Young Award-winning Frank Viola on July 31st, 1989. Aguilera would make 11 starts for the Twins in the second half of the 1989 season.

In 1990, the Twins would move Aguilera to closer. Over the next five years through 1994, he would save an average of 34 games per season for the Twins.

In July of 1995, the Twins would trade Aguilera to the Red Sox. At the end of the season, Aguilera would become a free agent and return to Minnesota.

Surprisingly, in his return to the Twins for the 1996 season, Aguilera would get another shot as a starter. That season he started 19 games for the Twins with an 8-6 record and a 5.42 ERA. As no pitcher was able to nail down the closer role, he would his return as the ninth-inning specialist in 1997 and earn 64 saves over the next two seasons.

Aguilera is the Minnesota Twins' franchise leader with 254 saves.

Over his 16-year career, he pitched for four teams making 89 starts and earning 318 saves with a 3.57 ERA. 

No. 1: Joe Nathan, 29 Starts and 250 Saves with a 2.84 ERA

Before joining the Twins, Joe Nathan spent four seasons with the San Francisco Giants, starting a total of 29 games. One of three pitchers the Twins received in exchange for catcher A.J. Pierzynski from the Giants in November of 2003, Nathan would not make another start in his career.

The Twins immediately made Nathan their closer and he responded by saving 44 games in 2004.

Before suffering a season-ending injury during spring training in 2010, Nathan was averaging 41 saves per season and was one of the premier closers in baseball.

His 249 saves for the Twins places him second all-time for the franchise lead. Nathan's 249 saves for the Twins put him only five saves behind Rick Aguilera on the Twins all-time saves list.

In his 11th season, Nathan has a 47-23 record with 250 saves and a 2.84 ERA

Minnesota's Next Closer? Glen Perkins: 44 Starts and Two Saves with a 4.51 ERA

Glen Perkins has found new life in 2011 with the Twins. Pitching out of the bullpen, he is leading the staff with a 1.87 ERA at the All-Star break.

Drafted out of the University of Minnesota by the Twins in the first round of the 2004 draft, Perkins would make his major league debut in 2006.

In 2008, Perkins would start 26 games for the Twins and lead the staff with 12 wins. Over the next two seasons, he would split his time between Triple-A Rochester and the Twins, appearing in only 31 games and making 18 starts.

In 2011, he has emerged as the go-to guy out of the bullpen, effectively getting out right-handed or left-handed batters. So far he has appeared in 35 games with a 1.87 ERA.

For his career, he has a 19-13 record with 44 starts and a 4.51 ERA and two saves.

The way Matt Capps and Joe Nathan have struggled this season, and if Perkins can remain this effective, he has a great shot to become the Twins' next closer.