Should the Indians get involved in the Huston Street talks?
Written By: Mike | Category: Cleveland Indians | Comments: 8
After completion of the recent C.C. Sabathia deal, Indians GM Mark Shapiro implied that the team still isn’t far off from contention in 2009. In order to make that a reality, one can reason the Tribe would need to add a right handed middle of the line-up bat (LaPorta anyone?), find at least one starting pitcher who can pitch towards the front of the rotation, and figure out how to acquire a closer to settle the bullpen. Are we asking for much?
Of the above mentioned needs, typically the most difficult area to address is to find a good and reliable closer. Nothing would delight me more if Mark Shapiro found a way to fung shway the Indians’ bullpen with a closer. One potential fit on the trade market is Oakland A’s closer Huston Street.
While the A’s won’t publicly state whether Street is actually on the market, it has been reported that the Dodgers, Mets, White Sox, and Brewers may have some active interest in the (almost) 24-year-old closer.
So why not the Indians? Why not act now to make a deal for next season?
Street is a proven closer who has 93 career saves, 245 strikeouts in 243 career innings, and has an ERA in at 2.85. While he has been knocked around a little bit this year (4.09 ERA and 5 blown saves), this is a guy who can be an immediate upgrade for the Indians pitching staff by default.
So what excuses could the Indians have for not going for him? Oh yea, money. Street is currently playing on a one year deal and, though he’s not eligible for free agency next year, has been looking for a long term contract.
Then here’s the Indians chance to use some of that Sabathia money they saved and find some arms for the bullpen. The unpredictability of the Indians seasons over the last four years have a direct link to the bullpen. If the Indians were to spend some money on a linchpin for that area of the roster, they will have shortened the road back to contention in 2009 and beyond.
Given his age, I would have no issues giving him a couple of years. It would obviously depend on what he was looking for, as we’re not one to give bullpen guys many years.
I’m a big fan of the kid, and you’re right – while he’s gotten hit a bit this season, he’s got quite the track record. And with the A’s trading away Blanton in a McHale-like fashion, let’s capitalize!
It depends on how much money Street will command next season. If he is looking for $8-9M per year, would the money be better spent on a mid-rotation starter (someone like Jon Garland or Ryan Dempster)?
I suppose it raises a fundamental question; is a closer more important than a #3 starter, a starting corner outfielder, etc?
I think the issue might be less about the money that it would take to sign him, and more about what the Indians have to give up to get him. What prospects are we giving up on that the A’s would want? Seems to me that we need as many of the young guys that we can use.
Right-handed middle-of-the-lineup bat: LaPorta, as suggested
Starter: Assuming we bring back Lee, Carmona, Laffey…and not bring back Byrd…it seems that we’re high on letting Sowers grow and keeping him as part of the equation, so I’ll assume that he’s in there, too. Maybe we let the fifth spot go to whoever wins it in Spring Training among Ginter, Weaver, and whoever else. Then remove the weakest link when Westbrook comes back.
Closer: Huston Street looks like a great option here, and the money would be there if all of what I’m figuring will happen will happen. I’d think we’d have enough money to pay Street and pick up a mid-rotation starter, though, if we played our cards right.
Yes. But only because he has a weird name.
I am with Rick. It will never happen because the Indians don’t want to compete, prospect-wise, with teams that are desperate to get over the hump this season. They have a chance if Street makes it through the deadline and into the off-season, but I don’t expect the Tribe to pay deadline prices for anybody.
Speaking of trading for talent, though, how about if Cleveland tries to benefit a bit from Pittsburgh’s small market status and goes after Jason Bay sometime in the offseason? He is the kind of player the Tribe should have been targeting all along when they were too busy farting around with Dellucci and Michaels.
It’ll be very hard to trade for a Huston Street, mostly because we don’t have the farm system depth to make a deal. However, in order to compete next year we need a closer, and a real closer not Joe Borowski. My suggestion would be to save the ammo you’ve got to make a deal for a Bay or an Atkins, and as for closer, try out Raffy Perez for the rest of the year. He’s got better stuff than most closers and is still young, then we could call up Rich Rundles from AAA or sign say a Marte, Ohman, Oliver, Reyes as a lefty specialist. Remember at the beginning of the year, the Pirates wanted Sowers (who i think is trash), Shoppach and Gutierrez for Bay. If we could pull of a deal similar to that this offseason, we’d be getting a steal.
i would love to see him in a tribe uniform, it is something we have lacked since the days of jose mesa
if you look at our team, before the trade of sabathia, and minnesota’s team (which gave up their ace, and it still contending) the biggest difference is the absolute rock they have in their bullpen, joe nathan.
he’s one of the most underrated pitchers in the game, and i think it motivates that whole team knowing that if they can take a lead into the ninth, the game is over.
i just have no faith that this team would be willing to shell out a little bit of money to bring in a good player
it seems like mark shapiro loves the jamey carrolls and paul byrds of the world.