FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- All-Star closer Joe Nathan and the Minnesota Twins agreed Friday on a two-year contract extension with a club option for 2008.

 

The Twins also reached an agreement with right-handed reliever Juan Rincon on a two-year contract -- as well as one-year deals with the 23 remaining unsigned players on their 40-man roster.

 

Terms of the contracts were not immediately available. Nathan will make $2 million this season in the final year of a two-year deal he signed last spring.

 

In his first season as a closer after arriving in a trade with San Francisco, Nathan converted 44 of his 47 save opportunities in 2004, had an 1.62 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 72 1-3 innings and was Minnesota's lone representative at the All-Star game.

 

Rincon, the primary setup man for Nathan, went 11-6 with 106 strikeouts in 82 innings last season.

 

The others who agreed to contracts: pitchers Grant Balfour, Boof Bonser, Travis Bowyer, Jesse Crain, J.D. Durbin, Dave Gassner, Francisco Liriano, Ryan Rowland-Smith and Scott Tyler; catchers Rob Bowen, Joe Mauer and Corky Miller; infielders Jason Bartlett, Michael Cuddyer, Garrett Jones, Justin Morneau, Augie Ojeda, Nick Punto, Luis Rodriguez and Terry Tiffee; and outfielders Lew Ford, Jason Kubel and Michael Restovich.

 

March 4, 2005