MLB trade rumors: Tigers not interested in Huston Street

The All Star Break is over, which means that the trade talks heat up before the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline. One of the players most likely to be moved is San Diego Padre closer Huston Street.

Once again, the Detroit Tigers’ bullpen has been a mess. The signings of Joba Chamberlain and Joe Nathan have failed to alleviate that problem.

Nathan has a robust 5.61 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. Chamberlain’s numbers are solid (2.63 ERA, 1.14 WHIP), but others such as Ian Krol and Phil Coke are still struggling.

So why aren’t the Tigers interested in Street? It seems the only thing that has kept them from a World Series title in the last three years is their horrid bullpen.

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Joe Nathan has big toes. Well, 360 career saves. They don’t want him to feel threatened as the closer, so the Tigers are likely after an option that will be fine playing second or third fiddle to Nathan and Chamberlain.

Huston Street is not that guy.

His teammate Joaquin Benoit might be. Benoit has a 1.86 ERA and superb 0.80 WHIP setting up Street this year with 45 strikeouts in 38.2 innings pitched.

The Tigers have also shown an interest in the Rangers’ Joakim Soria. Soria was an All Star closer with the Kansas City Royals before an injury derailed his 2012 season. That led the emergence of Greg Holland, and a loss of a job for Soria.

Soria has a 2.67 ERA and 16 saves for the Rangers this season, but he put up solid numbers last year in the bullpen even when he was not the closer.

The Tigers would prefer either, or both, of these guys to Huston Street right now.

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