Is there anything in baseball more exciting than middle relief?
The Twins share this bullpen fetish, they had the best one in the American League last season, and they've decided to do everything in their power to maintain the pen that they have. That's why they signed reliever Jesse Crain to a three-year deal today.
The Twins agreed Tuesday to terms with right-handed reliever Jesse Crain on a three-year contract, which will keep him signed through the 2009 season.
Crain, 25, was 4-5 with a 3.52 ERA and one save in 68 appearances last season. In his final 22 appearances in '06, Crain was 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA and allowed just 14 hits.
This deal is also a safety net for the future in Minnesota. The Twins think that Crain has the ability to be a closer in the Majors, and they wanted to lock him up in case they aren't able to work out a new deal with current closer, Joe Nathan.
Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but judging by the current market for pitchers I'm going to go ahead and say that Crain will be making $24 million this season.
