Huston Street Is His Own Agent And More Players Should Do That

By Bobby DeMuro
- Tweet
- Pin It
Updated: March 11, 2015

Huston Street in Angels camp this spring (Image via @ABC7Rob)

Including the $7 million he’ll make this season, Angels closer Huston Street has earned roughly $44.8 million in his career. Drafted in the first round out of the University of Texas in 2004, Street rose to the majors quickly has notched 275 saves, earning a reputation as a consistent closer despite the fact that he doesn’t light up the radar gun.

Younger players can learn from any big big leaguer with nearly 600 appearances, but with Street, that emulation ought to come from something he’s doing off the field (though he’s a pretty good on-field role model, too).

Street has been his own agent since 2012, when he negotiated a two-year deal with the San Diego Padres, before being acquired by the Angels last season. The team exercised their 2015 option this winter (that Street himself negotiated in San Diego), so Street will hit the free agent market after the year if he can’t agree to an extension this summer.

At the beginning of Spring Training, Street told the L.A. Times he was talking consistently with Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto about that extension. Based on comparable contracts and Street’s desire for a four-year deal, an extension would likely be around $40 million, a reasonable investment considering his track record.

“I think agents are beneficial to a lot of guys who are fringe players or superstars. How do you say no to $130 million and end up getting $180 million? It takes an agent,” Street told the L.A. Times in February.

“I’m not one of those guys. I’m pretty slotted within a range of what I believe is fair, of guys I’m comparable to. I don’t have anything negative toward agents. I just felt like I could handle my own business.”

How refreshing! There are too many stories recently of athletes going broke after earning millions and failing to take control of the financial side of their careers until it was too late. Sure, while negotiating their own contracts like this may not have saved those who went broke, Street’s insistence on facing his financial future is a revelation. If it’s something he is comfortable navigating on his own, more power to him for taking his career into his own hands.

Now, not every big leaguer should fire his agent tomorrow. Remember, Street only did so in 2012. He (wisely) used an agent to negotiate a signing bonus after the draft, to go through arbitration with the Oakland Athletics and later the Colorado Rockies, and to negotiate his first big contract with the Rockies in 2010. Those are things that required an agent; general mangers would have easily exploited a young and not-yet-established Street acting as his own representative.

But now that he’s been consistent for so long, and his track record and expectations are more or less set, the fluctuations in potential contract values have evened out. You know what you’re going to get when you sign Huston Street, and you can expect to pay a fair price for it.

Let’s say, based on the numbers cited in that Times piece, that Street would hypothetically fetch a 4-year, $40 million extension in Anaheim. Could he hire an agent instead and get 4 years and $45 million? Probably. Is $5 million a lot of money? Yes! Is it worth it to a guy who’s made about $45 million already to give an agent their cut of the contract, walking away with less than $40 million despite negotiating more? Evidently not.

Not every player is in Street’s position. Not every player has a track record of health and consistency like Street, and some players need an agent to maximize their value coming off years spent on the disabled list or with poor stats. Other players, specifically starting pitchers, have a very short shelf life at their peak due to injuries and overuse, so using an agent to maximize their value when they hit the open market is necessary. Still other players don’t want to be distracted by contract talk (especially during the season), and that’s a fair point; we can only speculate this summer as to whether or not Street’s on-field performance might be affected by negotiations.

But for players in Street’s situation – consistently healthy, consistently effective, and a ten-year track record to prove that – representing yourself in discussions might be a wise move. Assuming he’s working with a contract lawyer to protect him by double-checking specific contract language, taking control of his off-field career is a smart move by Huston Street, and something other players ought to emulate.

All that’s left to be seen is whether he and the Angels can reach an extension before Street hits free agency this winter. Based on his on-field success and durability, and the potential (reasonable!) numbers being thrown around regarding contract size, the Angels would be making a huge mistake if they failed to keep Huston Street in Anaheim.

Stay with us at Calisportsnews.com as we will keep you up-to-date on all things Los Angeles Angels and the rest of the LA sports teams! All Cali, All the time!