April 08--REPORTING FROM SEATTLE -- Closer Huston Street, who has represented himself since 2012, has hired one of his former agents, Alan Hendricks, to handle negotiations with the Angels on a contract extension now that the regular season has started.
"I'll still be heavily involved, but he'll be talking to the team on a day-to-day basis," said Street, who negotiated with Angels General Manager Jerry Dipoto throughout spring training. "I think it's the smartest thing for me to do on a number of levels. It will reduce distractions on a number of fronts."
Street, 31, is slated to make $7 million this season. He is looking for a four-year deal that would begin this season and pay between what closer David Robertson got from the Chicago White Sox (four years, $46 million) and setup man Andrew Miller got from the New York Yankees (four years, $36 million) this winter.
Dipoto said Monday that it is "still possible" for the sides to come to an agreement and that there "has never been a deadline" with Street.
Street remained optimistic, as well.
"I've made no secret about my desire to sign here, my desire to win, and my belief that the Angels want to win," Street said. "As long as there's progress, I'll stay actively engaged in that dialogue. ... I want to get it done sooner rather than later, but I also respect the fact that there are a lot of pieces to the puzzle, and I'm just one of them."
