No Nathan in 2010

The list of elite fantasy closers got a little shorter with the news that the Twins' Joe Nathan will miss 2010 with a bum elbow.

There are very few guys (Mariano Rivera, Jonathan Papelbon) you can draft as your closer, pencil in 40 saves and not even worry about it. Nathan was one of those guys. In fact, he led the big leagues in saves (264) since 2004 - it doesn't get more consistent than that.

But now Nathan's done, and who knows if he'll ever be effective again. The Twins could turn to Jon Rauch (26 career saves) or one of their other fine set-up men with little or no closing experience. There's also been talk of a potential deal for Padres closer Heath Bell, but for the time being, Rauch is probably the best bet if you're already stuck with Nathan or just speculating for saves.