Mets Trade Rumors: What About Huston Street?

One game shy of the halfway point in the 2012 season, there's no doubt that the Mets' bullpen is the team's biggest weakness. Mets relief pitchers are still the worst in Major League Baseball with a 4.93 ERA. While the bullpen's ERA has steadily been on the decline over the past month, there's still a lot of room for improvement.

Since the Mets are still very much in the mix for at least one a wild card spot and within reach of the division-leading Washington Nationals, there will be plenty of speculation about potential trade targets to give the bullpen a boost. The Mets reportedly contacted the San Diego Padres regarding right-handed relief pitcher Huston Street last week.

The Padres have virtually no shot at playoff contention, and Street is in the final guaranteed year of his current contract. He's making $7.5 million this year, and his contract includes a team option for $9 million in 2013 with a $500k buyout. The Rockies are still on the hook for the buyout.

As for performance, Street has thrown 457.1 innings in his career with a 3.03 ERA and 3.01 FIP with 9.23 K/9 and 2.30 BB/9. In 21.0 innings this year, his strikeouts and walks are both up, and he has a 1.29 ERA and 1.25 FIP. He's been a closer for virtually all of his career, and by all accounts, he's performed well in the role.

On the downside, Street and Mets bench coach Bob Geren don't have a great history, and Street's average fastball velocity, while never all that high before this year, has dropped below 90 mph for the first time in his career.