UPDATE: Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com says it’s a done deal, with the Padres sending Street and an undisclosed minor leaguer to the Angels for a four-prospect package headlined by Triple-A infielder Taylor Lindsey.
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Padres closer Huston Street has been linked to the Angels for a while now and Jim Bowden of ESPN.com reports that the two sides are “close to finalizing a deal” for the All-Star right-hander.
Bullpen problems have plagued the Angels, who recently traded former closers with the Pirates by swapping Ernesto Friero for Jason Grilli and have also used longtime setup man Joe Smith in the closer role.
By getting Street they’d been leaving no question about the ninth-inning role, as he’s saved 258 games since debuting for the A’s in 2005, including 23 saves with a 1.09 ERA for the Padres this season.
Street has never been particularly durable and occasionally has trouble keeping the ball in the ballpark, but he’s never had an ERA above 4.00, boasts a 2.87 ERA in 565 career innings, and has a 2.03 mark with a 127/32 K/BB ratio in 129 innings for the Padres since 2012.
Street is making $7 million this season and his contract contains a $7 team option for 2015 that the Angels would almost surely be interested in exercising following a trade for the 30-year-old.
