Oct. 30--The Angels wasted no time making two of their easiest decisions of the off-season Thursday, exercising closer Huston Street's $7-million option for 2015 and declining a $4.5-million option on injured reliever Sean Burnett.
Street, acquired from the San Diego Padres on July 18, was the final piece of a bullpen makeover that helped transform the Angels from an American League West contender into a division force.
The veteran right-hander went 1-2 with a 1.71 earned-run average in 28 games for the Angels, converting 17 of 19 save opportunities, limiting hitters to a .240 average and striking out 23 and walking seven in 26 1/3 innings.
Street teamed with veteran setup men Joe Smith and Kevin Jepsen to give the Angels a formidable late-game relief trio and help the bullpen forge a 2.94 ERA in 306 1/3 innings over the final three months of the season. The bullpen had a 4.28 ERA in 233 2/3 innings in April, May and June.
Burnett, the former Washington Nationals setup man, signed a two-year, $8-million deal with the Angels in December 2012 but was limited by elbow injuries to 16 games in two seasons, going 0-0 with a 1.74 ERA.
The Angels also returned Rule 5 pick Brian Moran, a left-hander who missed all of 2014 because of elbow surgery, to the Seattle Mariners' triple-A team after the left-hander cleared waivers.
Three Angels veterans -- relievers Jason Grilli and Joe Thatcher and utility infielder John McDonald -- officially filed for free agency, and outfielder Tony Campana, who cleared waivers last week, declined an assignment to triple-A Salt Lake and elected to become a free agent.
The Angels must decide by Dec. 2 whether to offer arbitration to 10 eligible players -- third baseman David Freese, infielder Gordon Beckham, catcher Hank Conger, outfielder Collin Cowgill and pitchers Garrett Richards, Jepsen, Hector Santiago, Fernando Salas, Vinnie Pestano and Wade LeBlanc.
