Nathan, who has pitched 6.2 innings in the majors over the last two seasons, decided to call it quits after failing to break through with the Nationals this season. He'll retire as a Twin, where he spent eight seasons and established himself as an elite closer. The six-time All-Star will end his career with an impressive 2.87 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 976 strikeouts in 923.1 innings. He is also eighth on the all-time saves list with 377.

Nathan struggled during his time with Washington's Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse, producing a 6.19 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP in 16 innings. He has a wealth of major-league experience, but with his best days clearly behind him, it's hard to believe he'll garner much interest on the free-agent market.

The right-hander is probably no better than a desperation backup plan for Nationals saves, as he's not even on the 40-man roster. Still, it's encouraging that Nathan is chugging along at age 42. If the choppy performance of closer Blake Treinen and other Nationals relievers continues, the former elite closer at least could get a call-up to the big leagues to solidify the setup bridge and position himself for high-leverage appearances. That seems like a move from Dusty Baker's playbook. Keep a casual eye on Nathan's progress.

It appears Nathan's time as a free agent was short lived this time around. After failing to find a team willing to immediately give him a big-league opportunity, the 42-year-old will likely report to Triple-A Syracuse, where he will look to demonstrate that he still has enough left in the tank to be an effective reliever in the majors.

It appears Nathan's time as a free agent was short-lived this time around. After failing to find a team willing to immediately give him a big-league opportunity, the 42-year-old will likely report to Triple-A Syracuse, where he will look to demonstrate that he still has enough left in the tank to be an effective reliever in the majors.