Huston Street: The Detroit Tigers' Savior? Umm, No

FoxSports.com’s Dayn Perry thinks the Tigers should make a trade with the Rockies for Huston Street, who recorded a couple of stress-free saves for Colorado against Detroit over the weekend. Why? He has no faith in Fernando Rodney. (FoxSports.com).

Quoting Perry:

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Current closer Fernando Rodney? He hasn’t had a closer-worthy season since 2005. Rodney has yet to blow a save in 2009, but it’s highly unlikely he’s going to maintain that sub-4.00 ERA.

In other words, Detroit needs help.

That’s where Huston Street comes in.

Street, who’s still just 25, has yet to surrender a run in May, and that’s despite his being a fly-ball pitcher in Coors Field. Getting out of the thin Denver air will allow Street to rely on his slider more often (and his change-up less often), and that should yield even better results.

 

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Personally, I don’t buy it. Not that I feel all is wonderful when Rodney is on the mound, but he's not blowing saves either. He’s not one of the elite, feared closers like Jonathan Papelbon (blown save), Bobby Jenks (blown save), Mariano Rivera (blown save), or Joe Nathan (two blown saves), of course.

He’s not going to be perfect all season. But with a WHIP of 1.11 (better than Papelbon’s and Jenks’, only slightly higher than Rivera’s and Nathan’s) it’s not like he’s playing with fire on a nightly basis either.

Thanks in part to that, fielding independent pitching stat is 3.27, the lowest of his career (Fangraphs).

Like Street, Rodney is in the final year of his contract. More than winning, he could be setting himself up for a big payday as well. If he stumbles, Detroit has a couple more flame throwing closer-understudies in Joel Zumaya and Ryan Perry. I’ll take my chances.

Besides, I’ve been a follower of the A’s for years. Frankly, I worry about Street’s ability to remain healthy for the rest of the year.